Things to do in Nara
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Mellow Café
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
Located down a narrow alley (look for the palm tree) not far from Kintetsu Nara Station, this open-plan cafe is a pleasant spot to fuel up for a day of sightseeing. The menu centres on pasta and pizza (there's a brick oven). There's an English sign and menu.
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Daibutsu-den
Tōdai-ji’s Daibutsu-den is the largest wooden building in the world. Unbelievably, the present structure, rebuilt in 1709, is a mere two-thirds the size of the original! The daibutsu (Great Buddha) contained within is one of the largest bronze figures in the world and was originally cast in 746. The present statue, recast in the Edo period, stands just over 16m high and consists of 437 tonnes of bronze and 130kg of gold.
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Bikkuri Udon Miyoshino
A simple place that does good-value sets of typical Japanese fare. Stop by and check the daily lunch specials on display outside.
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Hōryū-ji
Hōryū-ji was founded in 607 by Prince Shōtoku, considered by many to be the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism. Hōryū-ji is a veritable shrine to Shōtoku and is renowned not only as the oldest temple in Japan, but also as a repository for some of the country’s rarest treasures. Several of the temple’s wooden buildings have survived earthquakes and fires to become the oldest of their kind in the world. The layout of the temple is divided into two parts, Sai-in (West Temple) and Tō-in (East Temple). The entrance ticket allows admission to Sai-in, Tō-in and the Great Treasure Hall. A detailed map is provided and a guidebook is available in English and several other…
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Kōfuku-ji
This temple was transferred here from Kyoto in 710 as the main temple for the Fujiwara family. Although the original temple complex had 175 buildings, fires and destruction as a result of power struggles have left only a dozen standing. There are two pagodas – three storeys and five storeys – dating from 1143 and 1426, respectively. The taller of the two is the second-tallest in Japan, outclassed by the one at Kyoto's Tō-ji by a few centimetres. Note that a new hall is being built in the centre of the temple grounds and construction isn't expected to be completed until 2018.
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Nara National Museum
The Nara National Museum is devoted to Buddhist art and is divided into two sections, housed in different buildings. Built in 1894, the Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall & Ritual Bronzes Gallery, contains a fine collection of butsu-zō (statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas). The Buddhist images here are divided into categories, each with an excellent English explanation, making this an excellent introduction to Mahayana Buddhist iconography. The newer East and West wings, a short walk away, contain the permanent collections (sculptures, paintings and calligraphy) and are used for special exhibitions.
A special exhibition featuring the treasures of the Shōsō-in Hall, which…
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Tōshōdai-ji
Tōshōdai-ji was established in 759 by the Chinese priest Ganjin (Jian Zhen), who had been recruited by Emperor Shōmu to reform Buddhism in Japan. Ganjin didn’t have much luck with his travel arrangements from China to Japan: five attempts were thwarted by shipwreck, storms and bureaucracy. Despite being blinded by eye disease, he finally made it on the sixth attempt and spread his teachings to Japan. The lacquer sculpture in the Miei-dō hall is a moving tribute to Ganjin: blind and rock steady. It is shown only once a year on 6 June – the anniversary of Ganjin’s death.
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Nara Kōtsū Bus Tours
- Nara, Japan
- Activities › Bus
Nara Kōtsū runs daily bus tours on a variety of routes, two of which include Nara city sights only and two of which include more distant sights like Hōryū-ji and the burial mounds around Asuka. An explanation tape in English is available for all but the Asuka route. Lunch at a Japanese restaurant on the route is optional (reserve when buying your ticket). Nara Kōtsū has offices in JR Nara station and across the street from Kintetsu Nara station. For something more intimate, try one of the private tours operated by one of the Kyoto-based private tour operators or one of city's volunteer guide organisations.
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Yakushi-ji
Yakushi-ji was established by Emperor Tenmu in 680. With the exception of the east pagoda, which dates to 730, the present buildings either date from the 13th century or are very recent reconstructions. The main hall was rebuilt in 1976 and houses several images, including the famous Yakushi Triad (the Buddha Yakushi flanked by the Bodhisattvas of the sun and moon), dating from the 8th century. Behind the east pagoda is the Tōin-dō (East Hall), which houses the famous Shō-Kannon image, dating from the 7th century.
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Shin-Yakushi-ji
This temple was founded by Empress Kōmyō in 747 in thanks for her husband's recovery from an eye disease. Most of the buildings were destroyed or have been reconstructed, but the present main hall dates from the 8th century. The hall contains sculptures of Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha) and a set of 12 divine generals.
It's about 15 minutes' walk from Wakamiya- jinja; follow the trail south through the woods. When you come to the main street, look for the small signs in English leading up (south) into a suburban neighbourhood.
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Imanishike Shoin
Imanishike Shoin is a lovely old house dating to the Muromachi period and is built in the shoin, or library, style. There are a few small gardens here that are well framed by the house itself. Tea is served here. If you are a fan of sake, stop in next door at the Imanishi Seibei Shōten, an old sake merchant where you can sample five kinds of sake at a reasonable price.
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Kana Kana
Inside an 80-year-old machiya in Naramachi, this simple, relaxing place serves healthy Japanese food, much of it (but not all) vegetarian. We recommend the kanakana-gohan set (daily lunch special). It's tricky to spot, since it hardly looks like a restaurant at all; look for the pile of rocks outside next to a house with a tree in its front yard.
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Kasuga Taisha
This shrine was founded in the 8th century by the Fujiwara family and was completely rebuilt every 20 years, according to Shintō tradition, until the end of the 19th century. It lies at the foot of the hill in a pleasant, wooded setting with herds of sacred deer awaiting handouts. As with similar shrines in Japan, you will find several subshrines around the main hall.
The approaches to the shrine are lined with hundreds of lanterns, and there are many hundreds more in the shrine itself. The lantern festivals held twice a year at the shrine are a major attraction.
While you're in the area, it's worth walking a few minutes south to the nearby shrine of Wakamiya-jinja.
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Shizuka
The closest decent lunch option to Nara-kōen, Shizuka is a cosy little traditional restaurant that serves a Nara speciality known as kamameshi (rice cooked in an small iron pot with various vegetables, meat or fish thrown in). It's in a two-storey building that looks like a private home, with a white-and-black paper lantern-sign.
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Beni-e
If you want tempura without a lot of distractions, this tiny tempura specialist is likely to satisfy. It serves good tempura, hana, tsuki and yuki lunch sets respectively). It's located a little back from Higashi-muki arcade, behind Regal Shoes; go down the alley and look for the red writing above the door.
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Isui-en
Nara’s most splendid garden, Isui-en, is a short walk north of Tōdai-ji. The garden dates from the Meiji era and is beautifully laid out with abundant greenery and a pond filled with ornamental carp. It’s without a doubt the best garden in the city and is well worth a visit.
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Nara City Museum of Photography
Around the corner from Shin-Yakushi-ji, this small museum is worth a visit if you are in the area or interested in a particular exhibit (there is no permanent collection). Ask at any of the tourist offices before making the trek. Enter by 4.30pm.
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Drink Drank
This is the sort of place you might just as easily find in New York or Melbourne. It serves a variety of fresh fruit drinks and light lunches including sandwiches and soup. If you want a break from Japanese food and feel like something light and casual, this might be the move.
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Ten Ten Café
- Nara, Japan
- Restaurants › Cafe
Operated by a singer-songwriter, and a venue for lots of live music, this airy cafe is a fine spot for a drink or light meal in the Naramachi area. It serves a daily lunch special for ¥750. Look for the English sign and plants out front.
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Kasuga Taisha Hōmotsu-den
The Hōmotsu-den (Treasure Hall) is just north of the entrance torii for the Kasuga Taisha shrine. The hall displays Shintō ceremonial regalia and equipment used in bugaku, nō and gagaku performances.
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Tempura Asuka
This reliable restaurant serves attractive tempura and sashimi sets in a relatively casual atmosphere. At lunchtime try its nicely presented yumei-dono bentō (a box filled with a variety of tasty Japanese foods) for ¥1600. There is an English sign.
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Gangō-ji
Naramachi is home to Gangō-ji, a small temple that is listed as one of Nara's Unesco World Heritage sites. Despite its World Heritage listing, it's not particularly interesting and probably only merits a quick glance from outside.
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Don
The name is short for donburi (rice bowl) and this place takes the honours in the cheapest eats category. It’s healthy Japanese fast food and there’s a picture menu to make ordering easier.
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Naramachi Shiryō-kan Museum
Has a decent collection of bric-a-brac from the area, including a display of old Japanese coins and bills.
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Sangatsu-dō
A short walk south of Nigatsu-dō is Sangatsu-dō, which is the oldest building in the Tōdai-ji complex. This hall contains a small collection of fine statues from the Nara period.
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