Asuka Water Clock Site

Japan’s Oldest Public　

Timekeeping System

Asuka Water Clock Site is an important archaeological site in Asuka Village, Nara, associated with the introduction of formal timekeeping in 7th-century Japan. Excavations uncovered a square stone foundation, water channels, copper pipes, and lacquered wooden boxes, leading researchers to identify the site as the remains of a water clock platform. Historical records connect the construction of such a device with Prince Naka no Oe, later Emperor Tenchi, in the mid-7th century. The site is significant not only for its technical features, but also for what it suggests about the changing political culture of the time. The ability to measure and announce time was closely related to court administration, ritual order, and the growing authority of the early state. For visitors to Asuka, the site offers a valuable introduction to how imported knowledge and local political ambitions came together in a formative period of Japanese history.

Explore the Sights

See photos that bring Asuka Water Clock Site to life.

Open grassy field with wooden posts and railing outline, surrounded by tall green grass and trees, with buildings and parked cars in the background under a clear blue sky.
A wooden footbridge extending over a grassy area, leading to a park with trees and a few people in the distance under a clear blue sky.
Open grassy field with wooden posts and low fences, a tree and distant houses under a clear blue sky.
An old stone water basin-shaped sculpture with a round, shallow bowl filled with water, surrounded by roughly hewn rocks, in a small outdoor enclosed space with moss and small plants growing between the stones.
A disc golf basket with a metal basket and wooden obstructing bars, situated on a patch of dirt and grass with a wooden walking trail and stumps surrounding it.
Overgrown grassy area with black stones and a metal railing on the right side.