Nara
Discover Nara
Nara (奈良市) is an ancient capital city in Nara Prefecture, Kansai region of Japan. Overshadowed by its more famous neighbor Kyoto, Nara is omitted from many a time-pressed tourist's itinerary. However, Nara is home to many important scenic and historical sites, and today preserves its main sights much more attractively than Kyoto within Nara Park and neighborhoods like Naramachi. In addition to lovely foliage and many old buildings, Nara Park is famous for deer—hundreds of them that have become very comfortable around people and can be fed and petted. Along with the development of Heijōkyō (平城京), the capital of Japan between 710-784 AD, Nara flourished under the influence of Buddhism, leading to the creation of an enormous number of cultural assets, buildings and books, many of which are preserved today. Nara has the most buildings designated National Treasures in Japan.
What to Experience in Nara
Taste of Nara...
A local specialty is kaki-no-ha zushi (柿の葉ずし), which is sushi (usually mackerel or salmon) wrapped in persimmon leaves, and originates from nearby Yoshino. Kudzu, also from Yoshino, is a very renowned product of Nara, which is used for making various food ranging from kudzu noodles (葛切り kuzu-kiri) to Japanese sweets (和菓子 wagashi). Somen (thin wheat noodles) from Miwa region (三輪そうめん Miwa sōmen) have a history as old as Nara. The noodles are served either hot or cold. Another well-known culinary product is shika-senbei, a rice cracker sold around Nara Park. Don't try eating it yourself though — it's meant for the deer! Yamato-cha (大和茶) is the locally produced Japanese green tea which is healthy and tasty. There are also numerous sake brands, among which is Harushika brand, produced by one of the oldest existing sake breweries in Japan. As usual throughout Japan, make your reservation as early as possible for August (the time of yearly vacations and Bon festivals, when it is customary for the Japanese to travel to their and their ancestors' birthplaces) and around Christmas and New Year, and also in early November, when Shosoin treasures are on display at the National Museum. Cheaper accommodation may sell out or raise prices.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsNara does not have its own airport; most visitors arrive via either Kansai International Airport (KIX) or Osaka's Itami Airport (ITM), for domestic flights. From Kansai Airport, Airport Limousine buses run to the two Nara train stations every hour (90 min, ¥2100). More frequent service is available by rail: if you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can take the Haruka limited express to Tennoji station and then transfer to the Yamatoji line for the run to Nara (about 80 min, ¥2400 without a rail pass). Otherwise, it's cheaper to take the Nankai Railway's Kūkō-Kyūkō (空港急行) express train to Shin-Imamiya, and then take the JR Yamatoji line from there (about 95 min, ¥1500). From Itami Airport, it's easier to take a bus, which departs for Nara every 1-2 hours (60-70 min, ¥1510). From Kyoto Station, the JR Nara Line and the private Kintetsu Kyoto Line will get you to Nara quickly....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Once within Nara Park, you can walk to almost all the other major sites. The conventional round course (from Kintetsu Nara Station to Kōfuku-ji, Nara National Museum, Tōdai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and back to Kintetsu Nara Station) is about 6 km long, a pleasant walk for the typical tourist. You can get a Nara Bus Pass for unlimited travel on Nara Kotsu and Nara Gurutto buses plus discounts on museum admissions. 1-day bus pass covering most attractions in Nara area costs ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for child. Several temples are on the outskirts of town. Tōshōdai-ji, Yakushi-ji, and Horyu-ji are accessible from JR and Kintetsu Nara train stations without change by Nara-Nishinokyo-Ikaruga Excursion Bus line (Line No. 97). Taxis are available at Nara but those who do not know Japanese may find it difficult to make the taxi driver understand where they want to go. You can hail a taxi through Uber app. If you only have one day to spend in Nara, focus on Nara Park.
Where to Stay
As usual throughout Japan, make your reservation as early as possible for August (the time of yearly vacations and Bon festivals, when it is customary for the Japanese to travel to their and their ancestors' birthplaces) and around Christmas and New Year, and also in early November, when Shosoin treasures are on display at the National Museum. Cheaper accommodation may sell out or raise prices. The deer in Nara Park tend to be friendly and perhaps overly eager to eat shika-senbei biscuits from the hands of tourists - simply possessing some will inevitably attract a small crowd of five or six deer, whose extreme and single-minded interest in these biscuits and accompanying lack of respect for your personal space may well be a bit startling when experienced en masse. Don't be fooled by the publicity shots of the deer being happily petted: they can sometimes be aggressive in pursuit of those who have food while thoroughly uninterested in anyone who doesn't have any.
Money & Budget
Narazuke (奈良漬), a local specialty pickle made of various vegetables and fruit and traditionally melon cucumber, is quite popular. The distinctive strong flavor comes from the use of sakekasu, the sediment of sake fermentation, and sweet mirin cooking wine. The pickle also has some residual alcohol. Nara is also famous for its calligraphy brushes, called narafude (奈良筆), which are available in the specialist stores on Sanjō-dōri Avenue. However, as these brushes are made with a special kind of animal hair, they are expensive and rare, and customers will need to make a specific request for them. Other brushes sold in the specialist stores will be less expensive than narafude, but still generally of reputable quality.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
The deer in Nara Park tend to be friendly and perhaps overly eager to eat shika-senbei biscuits from the hands of tourists - simply possessing some will inevitably attract a small crowd of five or six deer, whose extreme and single-minded interest in these biscuits and accompanying lack of respect for your personal space may well be a bit startling when experienced en masse. Don't be fooled by the publicity shots of the deer being happily petted: they can sometimes be aggressive in pursuit of those who have food while thoroughly uninterested in anyone who doesn't have any. Small children in particular may be frightened to have the suddenly manic deer coming after them, so it may be best to feed the deer yourself and let the kids watch. While in the Kasuga-yama forest, steer clear of any deer which still have their antlers. They can be aggressive and their antlers can injure you.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Nara
Nara, Japan
The glance from the forest
body of water near green trees under blue sky during daytime
two animal on grass
Deer encounter
brown and white concrete building
stone lanterns at a shrine in the forest
A herd of deer standing on top of a lush green field
a woman in a white dress feeding a deer
village in the mountain, japan, cherry blossom, sakura, house
Nara, Japan
The glance from the forest
body of water near green trees under blue sky during daytime