city, Nara ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies in the eastern part of the Nara basin. The area around the city contains many burial mounds and shrines dating from early historic times. Tenri became well-known in 1881, when the headquarters and main temple of Tenrikyō, a Shintō sect, were moved to the city. As a result, the city's population grew rapidly, and numerous religious and cultural facilities were established there. The city also houses Tenri University and a museum of Japanese folklore. In the western rural area of Tenri, rice and watermelons are cultivated. The city is connected with Nara by two railway lines. Pop. (2005) 71,152.