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Tōdai-ji
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Kasuga Taisha Shrine
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Nara Park
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Kohfukuji Temple
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Yakushiji Temple
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Hasedera Temple
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Omiwa Shrine
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Roadside Station Hari T-R-S
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Kinpusen-ji Temple Zaoudou
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Gango-ji Temple
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Best Places To See Wild Animals In Japan
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The Osaka/Tokyo Hokuriku Arch Pass for tourists visiting Japan
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Tanzan Shrine: Elegance Between the Mountains
Travel Plans
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- Explore around Horyu-ji Temple in Nara by car and on foot
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- The temple of Horyu-ji, a World Heritage Site, is a sightseeing spot you don’t want to miss when visiting Nara Prefecture. Here we introduce a walking and driving course to enjoy both old and new, visiting historic spots and trendy areas surrounding the temple. After the sun sets, the night view is also delightful.
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- Cycle around historic Asuka Village in Nara
- 1days
- Asuka Village, the center of Japan 1,400 years ago, is still dotted with temples and ancient tombs, giving visitors a sense of time eternal. Bicycle through the tranquil countryside and enjoy the view of history and nature intertwined.
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- A cherry blossom viewing tour around Mt. Yoshino in Nara
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- Mt. Yoshino, a whole mountain covered in pink. A characteristic of Yoshino’s cherry blossom viewing area is the length of the season, beginning to bloom at the foot of the mountain, to Shimosenbon, Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon, and Okusenbon. Enjoy cherry-blossom viewing from the top to the bottom, unique to Yoshino, and where visitors can view the cherry blossoms while hiking all day.
- Create your own Travel Plan
Travel Guide
View moreBest Events
Top Things to do
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- Tōdai-ji
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4.55652 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Narashi Zoushichou 406-1
- "Located in Nara City, as the head temple of the Kegon sect of Buddhism. The principal image is Vairocana Buddha, the symbol of Nara as the ""Great Buddha of Nara"". In 743, Emperor Shomu issued his imperial edict for the erection of the Great Buddha Image, and with the cooperation of many people, it was constructed in the hope that all would be happy. The temple grounds are dotted with the national treasures such as Nandai-mon (Great South Gate), Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha Hall), Bell Tower, and Hokke-do (Lotus Hall, Sangatsu-do). It is also known worldwide as one of Japan's most popular tourist spots and attracts many foreign tourists."
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- Kasuga Taisha Shrine
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4.51765 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Narashi Kasuganochou 160
- This is a Shinto shrine located in Nara City. Kasuga Taisha Shrine is the grand head shrine of approximately 1,000 Kasuga shrines nationwide. The origins to the shrine lie in the early days of the Nara period, when Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto from Kashima-jingu Shrine was enshrined at Mt. Mikasa. The main shrine of the Kasuga structure which is a National Treasure has four buildings lined up, and in addition to the majestic and splendid south Gate and middle gate, there are many things such as fine and industrial art objects which have been designated as Important Cultural Properties. The Bantoro Festival (Lantern Festival) event is held on the day of Setsubun (Bean throwing night) and on the 14th and 15th of August when around 3,000 stone lanterns and hanging lanterns are lit with fire, and many worshipers come to look at this magical sight.
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- Nara Park
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- Nara Pref. Narashi Zoushichou · Kasugano Town, Noborioji Town, Takahata-machi other
- Nara Park is located directly next to the famous temples and shrine of Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Kofukuji Temple, as well as the Nara National Museum. The park is inhabited by sika deer, designated as a Natural Monument, and visitors can observe these wild animals up close. Throughout the year important buildings in the park are lit up at night, which engenders a magical atmosphere very different to that of the daytime.
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- Kohfukuji Temple
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4.01318 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Narashi Noboriojichou 48
- This is a temple located in Nara City. Yamashina-dera Temple has its origin as a temple that was established in Kyoto in 669 by the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari. The temple was destroyed by fires many times and was rebuilt, after which it ended up similar to temple ruins during the anti-Buddhist movement in the Meiji period, although the Tokon-do Hall, the five-storied pagoda, the Hokuen-do Hall and the three-storied pagoda which survived have been designated as National Treasures. The five-storied pagoda which is illuminated at night-time has become a symbol of Nara. There are also many Buddhist images enshrined at the temple which have been designated as National Treasures and Cultural Assets such as the Ashura statue.
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- Yakushiji Temple
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4.0489 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Narashi Nishinokyouchou 457
- Together with the Kohfukuji Temple, the Yakushiji Temple is the headquarters of the Hosso school of Buddhism. The temple was built in 680 in the then-capital of Fujiwara-kyo by Emperor Tenmu to pray for the recovery of his ill consort, who later succeeded him as Empress Jito. The temple was moved to its current location in 718. Originally, the temple was comprised of a magnificent number of structures connected via galleries, but, excluding the East Pagoda, these were destroyed by fire and war. The colorful main hall, West Pagoda, central gate, galleries, and the largest grand hall inside the grounds have been rebuilt. The East Pagoda, a National Treasure and the temple’s only original structure remaining from when it was first erected, appears at first glance to be a six-tier pagoda but is in fact a three tier-one. (Note: The East Pagoda is scheduled to undergo restoration until June 2020.)
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- Hasedera Temple
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4.5372 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Sakuraishi Hase 731-1
- This prosperous temple, the head temple of the Shingon-shu Buzan-ha sect of Buddhism, is the eight of 33 temples on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. It was said to have originated with the installation of the Douban Hokke Sessou Zu (a bronze plaque carved with the Hokke Sutra), a National Treasure, by Domyo Shonin for Emperor Tenmu in 686. It is famous for its large collection of cultural properties, including the Juichimen (11-headed Kanzeon Bodhisattva), the temple's principal object of worship. The temple has a number of historically and cultural significant points of interest, including the 399-step stone stairs (an Important Cultural Property) leading from the Deva gate to the main temple (a National Treasure), the hanging lanterns suspended from the ceiling, and more. In late April, more than 7,000 peonies bloom in the temple gardens.
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- Omiwa Shrine
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4.5332 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Sakuraishi Miwa 1422
- Omiwa Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Japan and the site has been sacred ground for some of the earliest religious practices. The Miwa Torii (shrine gate), the gate marking the transition from the profane to the sacred, and the worship hall have been designated as important cultural assets of the country. Although we know from records that the worship hall was founded in the Kamakura period, the shrine as we know it now was rebuilt by Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth Tokugawa shogun. The enshrined deity is revered as a guardian deity of human life in the sense of building a nation. People are welcome to join the festivals held here throughout the year. Omiwa Shrine is approximately five minutes on foot from JR Miwa Station.
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- Roadside Station Hari T-R-S
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3.590 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Narashi Harichou 345
- This is a Roadside Station next to the Hari Interchange in Hari-cho, Nara City on the National Route 25. As well as Italian cuisine and fast food, there are many restaurants, souvenir and local produce shops, a natural hot spring and pool, Hari Onsen Land, and Hari TRS (terrace) Berry Farm, the largest tourist farm in west Japan (reservations required) in the facility.
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- Kinpusen-ji Temple Zaoudou
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4.5263 Reviews
- Nara Pref. Yoshinogunyoshinochou Yoshinoyama
- The symbol of Mt. Yoshino and the head temple of the Shugendo syncretic Shinto-Buddhist religion. It is believed that the temple was founded by the mystic En no Gyoja in the latter half of the seventh century. The Zaoudou hall standing proudly on the heights of the Kinpu Mountain Range was erected in 1592 and is the second largest ancient wooden building in Japan after the Hall of the Great Buddha at Todai-ji Temple. Three statues of Zao, a Shinto manifestation of the Buddha, are enshrined in the temple, representing the past, present, and future. Each is seven meters tall and a must-see during your visit.
Areas

What is Nara?
With a reputation almost as stellar as that of Kyoto, Nara is a must-visit for those searching for the remains of "traditional Japan." The largely green Nara city holds the majority of the prefecture’s treasures, such as the iconic Todai-ji Temple, in which a 15-meter tall Great Buddha sits, and Nara Park, where deer flock to befriend passersby. While mountains are by no means hard to come by in this area, for hiking with a reward, head to the Kii Mountains’ Yoshino district in spring, when the hillsides put on an impressive display of white and pink cherry blossoms.
Nara Overviews
Climate
What to Wear
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- Warm Cloth
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- Warm Cloth
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- Warm Cloth
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- Jacket
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- Long
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- Long
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- Short
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- Short
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- Long
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- Long
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- Jacket
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- Warm Cloth
Getting Around
Just 33 kilometers east of Osaka and 38 kilometers south of Kyoto, Nara Station is an easy 50-minute train ride on the JR Osaka Loop Line and 46 minutes on the Nara Line from Kyoto. Hiking in Yoshino is best done as a day trip from Kyoto for 2,550 yen round trip: Take the Kintetsu Limited Express, change at Kashiharajingu-Mae Station and disembark at Yoshino Station, where you can enter the Shimo Senbon (lower area) of Mount Yoshino.