Michael Borgwardt wrote:

>>Has Osaka really been capital? When?
> 
> 
> According to Kansai University
> <http://www.kansai-u.ac.jp/English/hosaka.html>, Osaka was established as
> the first capital of Japan in the 7th century (AD), though I've found
> sources listing it as capital earlier than that.  I assume that information
> from a university is more authoritative, so that's the date I'm going with.
> 
> The capital was moved to Kyoto not too long afterwards--near the end of the
> 8th century.

This explains it with a bit less bias: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2157.html
---
Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital
used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan's
capital city, the first one ever known.
---
Generally, Nara is considered the first "real" capital, though apparently
Osaka/Naniwa was the first one of which there are records. But today's
special administrative status has  nothing to do with that. The kanji "fu"
does not imply capital; it's just a recognition of Osaka being one of
Japan's largest cities.


Michael "Brazil" Borgwardt --- Member of #WASHU# and Her would-be guinea-pig.
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