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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.

See
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Do
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Eat
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Drink
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Buy
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11 places match

  1. Do

    Nara Visitor Center & Inn

    Learn basic Japanese calligraphy or origami. They'll pick out kanji that match the sound of your name so you can learn to write them with a calligraphy brush pen. Or you can learn to make an origami deer, something you're not likely to find outside of Nara. The teachers are charming, and the center has other cultural activities as well, and all the other information you'd expect from a visitor center.

    Closed · opens 10 amFree

  2. Do

    Shuni-e (Omizu-tori)

    修二会 (お水取り)

    An annual Buddhist memorial service that has been carried out first in 752 AD and continues today without a year off. Priests run around the Nigatsu-dō carrying large flaming torches.

    Mar 1-14, evening

  3. Do Not mapped

    Deer-horn Cutting Ceremony

    Deer have their horns cut to prevent people from being injured.

    October

  4. Do Not mapped

    Mount Wakakusa Fire Festival

    若草山焼き Wakakusa-yamayaki

    Great fireworks and the dry grass on the slopes of this mountain is set on fire by two temples. The size of the burn depends on how dry the grass is.

    The night before the 2nd Mon in January. In case of bad weather the date may change, so call to check

  5. Do Not mapped

    Nara Tōka-e

    なら燈火会

    An annual light festival. 10,000 candles illuminate the area around Nara Park and major temples.

    Closed

  6. Do Not mapped

    Nara Walk

    Tour covers popular destinations around Nara Park: Great Buddha, Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Deer Park and Kasuga Grand Shrine. Reservations not necessary for regular tours. Private tours or tours in French available with reservation.

    Mar - Sep: daily 10:00¥3000

  7. Do Not mapped

    Naramachi

    奈良町

    The neighborhood, founded in the 8th century when Heijōkyō was the capital of Japan, today contains several small museums, machiya (町家) (traditional Japanese merchant houses from Edo Period), unique cafes and restaurants. (David Bowie is rumored to have owned a house here.) It's well worth the time to stop and do a tasting at Harushika (春鹿), Naramachi's fabulous Nihon-shu (sake) brewery.

  8. Do Not mapped

    Saturday Walking Tour

    This tour is led by a professional English-speaking local guide. You will see old "machiya" houses and lively local alleys full of interesting sights. The tour ends near Kasuga Shrine and Todai-ji Temple so that you can visit these major sights of Nara afterwards.

    Apr-Jul, Sep-Nov: Sat 10:00-13:00Adults ¥2000, children under 15 free

  9. Do Not mapped

    Nara S.G.G. Club

  10. Do Not mapped

    Nara Student Guide