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The Asuka-Fujiwara Cultural Heritage Site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, is an archaeological site containing the ruins of two ancient Japanese capitals, Asuka-kyo and Fujiwara-kyo, dating from around the late 6th to early 8th centuries. This period laid the foundations for the later formation of Japan as a cohesive nation.
Climber, adventurer and photographer Naoki Ishikawa spent more than two years visiting the region. His photographs focus on the natural beauty of the area - the ancient trees that still grow here, the fields of flowers that bloom in spring and summer, the mountains that lurk in the – and the many archaeological remains that remain. Focusing on strangely shaped stones, the rhythms of daily life and local rituals, Ishikawa tells a story about the long, often mysterious shadows that the past casts on the present, and about the fleeting moments that seem to outlast time.
The book concludes with essays by photographer Naoki Ishikawa, historian Masanori Aoyagi, and archaeologist Takafumi Yamada, as well as additional notes from the Nara Prefectural World Heritage Office for each photograph featured.