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Nara

Japan's ancient capital delivers on culture

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Nara Top 10

  1. Mochi Pounding at Nakatanidou
    1

    Mochi Pounding at Nakatanidou

    Nara City
  2. Todaiji Temple in Nara
    2

    Todaiji Temple in Nara

    Nara City
  3. Nara Deer Antler-Cutting Ceremony
    3

    Nara Deer Antler-Cutting Ceremony

    Nara City
  4. Hands-on Sushi School in Yamazoe
    4

    Hands-on Sushi School in Yamazoe

    Activity
  5. The Stone Lanterns of Kasuga Shrine
    5

    The Stone Lanterns of Kasuga Shrine

    Nara City
  6. Sakura on Mount Yoshino
    6

    Sakura on Mount Yoshino

    Activity
  7. Tōdai-ji, Deer, and Gardens in Nara
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    Tōdai-ji, Deer, and Gardens in Nara

    Nara City
  8. Fujiwara Capital and Palace Ruins
    8

    Fujiwara Capital and Palace Ruins

    Kashihara
  9. Nigatsu-do Hall in Nara
    9

    Nigatsu-do Hall in Nara

    Nara City
  10. Ninja Training at the Akame 48 Waterfalls
    10

    Ninja Training at the Akame 48 Waterfalls

    Activity
  1. Nara-Yamato Pilgrimage
    1

    Nara-Yamato Pilgrimage

    Culture
  2. Hands-on Sushi School in Yamazoe
    2

    Hands-on Sushi School in Yamazoe

    Activity
  3. Fujiwara Capital and Palace Ruins
    3

    Fujiwara Capital and Palace Ruins

    Kashihara
  4. Ruins of Moto-Yakushi Temple
    4

    Ruins of Moto-Yakushi Temple

    Kashihara
  5. Ofusa Kannon Temple
    5

    Ofusa Kannon Temple

    Kashihara
  6. Introducing Historic Imai-cho
    6

    Introducing Historic Imai-cho

    Kashihara
  7. Kashihara Jingu Shrine
    7

    Kashihara Jingu Shrine

    Kashihara
  8. Tenkawa Shrine in Nara
    8

    Tenkawa Shrine in Nara

    Culture
  9. The Azaleas of Mount Katsuragi
    9

    The Azaleas of Mount Katsuragi

    Activity
  10. Sakura on Mount Yoshino
    10

    Sakura on Mount Yoshino

    Activity

Around Nara

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Where to eat in Nara

Nara Kitchen
Food

Nara Kitchen

Bryan Baier

Nara Kitchen provides delicious economically priced lunches near JR Nara Station and Nara Park

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Places to stay in Nara

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Ofusa Kannon Temple
Culture

Ofusa Kannon Temple

Alena Eckelmann

A gem of a temple, located in a quiet suburb of Kashihara City, invites worshippers to linger. This is the Ofusa Kannon Temple,..

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About Nara

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Kansai
Island Honshu
Capital Nara
Population 1,400,728
Area 3,690.94 sq. km

Japan’s first permanent capital from AD 710 to 794 (known then as Heijo), as well as the site of the ancient capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, it goes without saying that Nara is filled with history and culture.

Nara is renowned for its many prestigious temples, led by Todai-ji (home of the Nara Great Buddha) and Horyu-ji, the oldest wooden building in the world. The lesser-known Asuka Temple is considered to be the oldest temple in Japan, constructed in AD 588. The traditional performing art of Daimokutate is performed every October 12th and is a sight to behold.

One of the most iconic sights of Nara is Nara Park; in addition to it containing Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, and Kasuga Shrine, it is famous for its roaming deer - visitors can even feed them! The town of Yoshino is arguably the best spot in Japan for cherry blossom viewing.

Things to Do in Nara
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