Sakurai 桜井市
—  City  —
Location of Sakurai in Nara
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Nara
Government
- Mayor	Akira Hasegawa
Area
- Total	98.92 km2 (38.2 sq mi)
Population (January 31, 2007)
- Total	63,321
- Density	630.01/km2 (1,631.7/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Cryptomeria
- Flower	Prunus jamasakura
Phone number	0744-42-9111
Address	432-1 Ōaza Ōdono 633-8585
Website	City of Sakurai

Sakurai (桜井市, Sakurai-shi^?) is a city in Nara, Japan.

As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².

The city was founded on September 1, 1956.

Sakurai is home to Ōmiwa Shrine, traditionally considered one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan dedicated to the god of sake. Sake dealers across Japan often hang a wooden sugi ball, made at Ōmiwa Shrine, as a talisman to the god of sake. It features in Yukio Mishima's novel Runaway Horses.

Famous places

• Buddhist temples
  • Miwasanbyōdō-ji
  • Hase-dera
  • Asuka-dera
  • Tachibana-dera
  • Abemonju-in
  • Seirin-ji

• Shinto shrines
  • Ōmiwa Shrine
  • Tanzan Shrine
  • Kasayamakō Shrine
  • Tamatsura Shrine

Sister cities

In Japan

• Kumano, Mie
• Taisha, Shimane

Outside Japan

• Chartres, France.

External links

• Media related to Sakurai, Nara at Wikimedia Commons
• (Japanese) Official website

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