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Nara

Japan's ancient capital delivers on culture

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Things to do in Nara

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Nara Top 10

  1. Mochi Pounding at Nakatanidou
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    Mochi Pounding at Nakatanidou

    Nara City
  2. Todaiji Temple in Nara
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    Todaiji Temple in Nara

    Nara City
  3. Nara Tokae Lantern Festival
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    Nara Tokae Lantern Festival

    Nara City
  4. The Stone Lanterns of Kasuga Shrine
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    The Stone Lanterns of Kasuga Shrine

    Nara City
  5. Tōdai-ji, Deer, and Gardens in Nara
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    Tōdai-ji, Deer, and Gardens in Nara

    Nara City
  6. Nara Tokae Lantern Festival
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    Nara Tokae Lantern Festival

    Nara City
  7. Nara Dreamland
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    Nara Dreamland

    Nara City
  8. Hiking the Yagyu Kaido
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    Hiking the Yagyu Kaido

    Nara City
  9. One Day in Nara Park
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    One Day in Nara Park

    Nara City
  10. Nara Deer Antler-Cutting Ceremony
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    Nara Deer Antler-Cutting Ceremony

    Nara City

Upcoming Nara Events

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Where to eat in Nara

Kuimonoya Izakaya
Food

Kuimonoya Izakaya

Paul Hackshaw

Kuimonoya is a small but intimate izakaya restaurant a short walk from Yamato-Saidaji station, and it serves a wide variety of Japanese..

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Places to stay in Nara

Nara Hotel
Luxury

Nara Hotel

Paul Hackshaw

Luxury hotel in the heart of Nara Park, located near Kofukiji and close to Araike lake.

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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 Prefecture (奈良県, Nara-ken) 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.

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