The area is filled with temples and shrines including Horyu-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. With excellent mutual access to Kyoto and Osaka, this area is recommended as a base for Keihanna sightseeing.
The Nara City, Tenri, and Horyuji Temple area offers sightseeing spots such as Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Yakushiji Temple; sightseeing events such as the Shosoin Exhibition, Nara Toka Kai, and Children's Pilgrimage to Jiba; and local gourmet foods such as donuts, nyumen, and warabimochi.
Nara is famous for the Heijo-kyo Capital, located in the center of the Kansai region, and for being the place where Japanese politics began. Because of this, Nara has many important cultural assets and is a city full of historical atmosphere.
Nara is home to many historical sites and cultural assets, such as the "Great Buddha of Nara" at Todaiji Temple and Asuka Village. Tenri City, located in the northern part of Nara Prefecture, is the home of the Tenrikyo religion and is lined with its related facilities here and there in the city.
Nara City is an area where Buddhist events are held throughout the year and attracts many tourists throughout the year.
The Kasuga Taisha Shrine is the site of the Kagura Shichi-shiki (Shinto music and dancing ceremony), which includes a waka poem by Tadafusa Fujiwara; Ebisu Shrine is famous as the guardian deity of the market, and was built in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). In spring, the Shuni-kai is held at Shin-Yakushiji Temple, where the national treasure Shakyamuni Buddha is enshrined; the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple, where the Emperor Shomu Festival is held; Yakushiji Temple, where the Tenmu Memorial Service and Mando-e are held in memory of Emperor Temmu; and the deer-horn cutting ceremony, which is held in autumn.
The area is also famous for its gourmet foods, such as "Kakinoha-zushi" (persimmon leaf sushi), "Narazuke" (pickles), "Chagayu" (tea gruel), "Amazu-zuke" (pickles in sweet vinegar) and "Senmaizuke" (pickles in a sweet soy sauce broth), which are typical of Nara's old capital. There are also "Miso-zuke (sweetfish marinated in miso)" and "Sansho (sweetfish simmered in Japanese pepper paste)," the king of river fish.
The area is also famous for its sweet shops, such as "dried persimmon," which is mentioned in haiku, "Yoshino kuzu," which is used to make kuzukiri, and "mikasa," which is a type of dorayaki (a type of pancake) that is unique to the area. There is also the very popular "Rainbow Ramune," which is extremely difficult to find even for locals. Tenri is most famous for its soy sauce-based "Tenri Ramen.
Nara is also rich in sightseeing spots, including the Mausoleum of Emperor Kanmu, the creator of the Great Buddha of Nara, the Asuka Itabatake Palace Site in Asuka Village, which was built in the Asuka Period, and the Ishibutai Kofun Tumulus, where you can see many ancient tombs of the Yamato government, the court that existed before the Taika Reformation. The Suzakumon Gate, built in the Heijo-kyo period, can also be seen here.
In the vicinity of Horyu-ji Temple, there is the "Fujinoki Kofun," a very large and mysterious ancient burial mound, and the "Nishisato Townscape," where you can enjoy the atmosphere of old times. There are many ancient burial mounds in the area, including the Ikaruga-Otsuka burial mound.
There is also "Tatsuta Shrine," a monument marking the birthplace of the Kongo School of Noh, and "Senko-ji Temple," which is located after passing through a bamboo grove tunnel. Ikaruga is also home to Hokkiji Temple and the historic site of Mitsui, also known as Akazome-no-i. The area is very well developed for sightseeing, so it is best to walk or rent a bicycle.
Near Horyu-ji Temple, there is the main store of a famous "Kakinoha-zushi" restaurant, where you can choose from four types of sushi: salmon, mackerel, sea eel, and small sea bream, each with its own unique flavor.
There are many gourmet foods and local products around Ikoma, and "Takayama Kakimochi" is very famous. In addition, "tea utensils" are indeed a typical Nara local product. You may want to consider bringing some as souvenirs.
Todaiji Temple occupies a vast area at the foot of Mt. It is home to many national treasures and important cultural properties, including Rushanabutsu, popularly known as Nara's Great Buddha. It is one of the eight properties included in the World Heritage Site "Cultural Properties of Ancient Nara....»
The famous 50.1 meter high five-story pagoda was built in 730, and the present pagoda, rebuilt in 1426, is the second tallest existing wooden pagoda in Japan after the five-story pagoda at Toji Temple and is designated as a national treasure. The five-story pagoda is illuminated at night and is one of Nara's most beautiful landscapes, and the reflection of the five-story pagoda in Sawaike Pond is...»
Nara Park is an urban park where you can enjoy the seasonal beauty of the city. It spans a vast area of 660 hectares, approximately 4 km east to west and 2 km north to south, and includes such famous sites as Kofukuji Temple, Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Shosoin Temple, Nara National Museum, Wakakusa Mountain, and Kasuga Mountain. The park is home to approximately 1,300 deer, designated ...»
This beautiful and historic shrine is located in Nara Park and is the head shrine of approximately 1,000 Kasuga shrines throughout Japan. It is registered as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites "Cultural Properties of Ancient Nara. The former name of the shrine was "Kasuga Shrine," and its divine crest is a "falling wisteria. The history of the shrine dates back to the Nara period when the ca...»
Founded in 680, Yakushiji Temple is the head temple of the Hosso sect of Buddhism and one of the Seven Great Temples of the Southern Capital. It is registered by UNESCO as one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites "Cultural Properties of Ancient Nara". The background of the temple's construction was to pray for the healing of the Empress Tenmu's illness. The large temple complex was one of the m...»
Located at the eastern edge of Nara Park, this 342-meter-high, 33-hectare mountain is one of the symbolic landscapes of Nara, with its gently sloping mountainside covered with grass. Deer roam freely here, and the scenery changes with the seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring to autumn leaves and silver grass in fall. From the summit, you can see the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple, the fi...»
The Wakakusa Yaki is a traditional event held on the 342-meter-high, 33-hectare grass-covered mountain at the eastern edge of Nara Park to herald the arrival of spring in the ancient capital of Nara. The sight of the mountainside engulfed in flames is spectacular, and the intensity of the flames burning up the night sky is a spectacularly beautiful sight that can truly be called a festival of fla...»
Yoshikien is a Japanese garden located next to the Xuanzun River (Yoshiki River), which is mentioned in the Manyoshu poetry anthology. The garden was created by skillfully incorporating the undulations and curves of the terrain, and the cedar moss and autumn leaves blend beautifully against the backdrop of Kasuga Mountain and Wakakusa Mountain. The garden includes the former Shohoin family reside...»
Sarusawa Pond, with a circumference of 360 meters, is located in Nara Park. The five-story pagoda of Kofukuji Temple and the willows in the pond are reflected on the surface of the water, creating a beautiful scene. Because of its beauty, the pond was selected as one of the eight scenic spots in the southern part of Nara. Sarusawa Pond is a man-made pond created by Kofukuji Temple in 749. It is ...»
The garden, designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty by the national government, is a large area of garden with a circular path around a pond, divided into two parts, the front garden and the rear garden, each with different scenery. The former garden was created in 1673 during the Edo period by Michikiyo Kiyosumi, an official merchant of the Nara government, and includes the teahouses Sanshutei, G...»
This museum is located in the Japanese garden "Isuien," which is designated as a national place of scenic beauty. It houses more than 2,000 pieces of ancient Chinese bronzes, ancient mirrors, ancient bronze seals, rubbings, and Japanese calligraphy, paintings, and tea ceramics from China, Korea, the Yi Dynasty, and Japan, including one book (13 drawings) in light color on paper from Tanomura Take...»
Located north-northwest of the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple in Nara Park, this is a large Shosoin (high-story warehouse) built in the schoolhouse style. Built around 759, this storehouse of treasures still retains its original form and has been handed down to the present day without being damaged by war or natural disasters. The treasury housed objects related to Emperor Shomu and Empress...»
This 1.3 hectare garden stretches to the south of Ukimido and Sagi-ike Pond at the southern end of Nara Park. The garden was created by the Yamaguchi family, an Osaka conglomerate, during the Meiji and Taisho periods, and is designated as "Nara Park of Scenic Beauty," a national cultural asset, for its spectacular view of Mount Yu and the Sagi-ike pond. It was also a place where painters and tea...»
The Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall (former Main Building) houses approximately 100 Buddhist statues, including national treasures and important cultural properties. The Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall was designed in 1894 by Katayama Tokuma, a Meiji-era court architect who also designed the Akasaka Imperial Villa (State Guest House), and is designated as an Important Cultural Property. It has many ex...»
Also known as Gokurakubō, Gankō-ji Temple is one of the parent temples of Hokkō-ji Temple (now Asukadera Temple), the oldest full-fledged Buddhist temple in Japan, and was historically known as one of the seven great temples of the southern capital. The main hall and Zen room, both built in the Nara period (710-794), are designated as national treasures, and the temple has many temple treasures, ...»
Heijo Palace became the center of the capital when it was relocated from Fujiwara-kyo in 710. The palace was the center of the capital when it was relocated from the Fujiwara-kyo capital in 710. The palace was composed of the imperial residence (uchiura), the chodoin (chodoin) where ceremonies were held, and government offices where officials performed their duties, covering a total area of about...»
It is said that Empress Komyo built this temple in 747 to pray for the healing of Emperor Shomu's illness. The name "Shin-Yakushiji Temple" means "new experience of spiritual power. The temple was once one of the ten largest temples in the Nanto area, and although it has shrunk in size since the Heian period (794-1185), it still retains many cultural assets, including the main hall, which is a n...»
The head temple of the Ritsu sect of Buddhism, Toshodaiji is dedicated to the Rushanabutsu (national treasure). The temple was founded in 759 by the Tang Dynasty monk Ganjin, and was built on the site of a former residence of a member of the imperial family that was given to him by the Imperial Court. It is also the place where Ganjin spent the last years of his life. The temple houses many cultu...»
Floating on the surface of Sagi-ike Pond, this hexagonal hall with cypress bark roof is beautifully reflected on the surface of the pond and is popular as a place for relaxation and recreation by the water. Ukimido-Do was built in 1916 and rebuilt in 1994. It is illuminated at night. The surrounding cherry blossoms and sarsaparilla are also magnificent, and in the fall, visitors can enjoy the be...»
This shrine is deeply related to ice and is a place of worship. It began in 710 during the Nara period (710-710) when the emperor Genmei ordered the worship of an ice god in an ice house (ice storage facility) built on Kasuga Mountain upstream of the Yoshijo River. Ice was stored in the ice house after it was frozen in the severe cold at an ice pond in Kasugano, and was delivered to Heijo-kyo Ca...»
This amusement park is located on top of Mt. Ikoma, which straddles Nara and Osaka Prefectures at an elevation of 642 meters. It is cool in summer and has more than 30 amusement facilities, including a pet pet petting zoo where visitors can interact with dogs, cats, and other small animals, and a flying carpet with a large spinning wheel. Opened in 1929, the amusement park has Japan's oldest larg...»
The official kanji for Hozanji Temple is Hozan-ji, and it is also called Ikoma Shoden or Ikoma no Shoden-san because it enshrines Shoden as a guardian deity. Located halfway up Mount Ikoma, which is said to have been a place of ascetic practice for En no Gyoja (En no Shokaku), the temple is known for its belief in Shoden, one of Japan's three holy heavenly deities enshrining the god of commerce, ...»
Shigisan Chogosonshiji Temple, also known as Shigisan-ji Temple, is a temple built on the mountainside of Mount Shigi with Bishamonten as its principal deity. Also called the "Tiger Temple," the temple grounds are filled with tigers. At the entrance is the world's largest papier-mâché tiger with an electrically operated head. Shigisan is also famous for cherry blossom viewing, when the entire mo...»