JAPAN: The remains of a large colonnaded building were unearthed at the site of the former Heijo Palace in Nara. The building dates to the 8th century A.D., during the Nara Period when the city of Heijo-kyu was Japan’s capital. The structure was likely part of a residence used by emperors and the imperial family, particularly the empress Koken, also called Shotoku (r. A.D. 749–758 and A.D. 765–770).