Top Reasons to Visit

Top Reasons to Visit

Architecture

Nara is unrivaled in Japan for its wealth of classical temples, pagodas, and shrines—some are among the oldest wooden structures in the world. Crafted in the Chinese style, when Buddhism first appeared in Japan, they evoke the purity and vision of a new political order embarking on a religious and imperial odyssey.

Hospitality & Tranquillity

The unaffected, generous hospitality of Nara's citizens is famous all over Japan. That warmth and the city's serenity can best be experienced in a traditional, family-run inn.

Shopping

Among the merchant houses and traditional restaurants of Nara-machi's maze of streets, longtime locals in old wooden shops sell the crafts for which Nara is famous: sumi (ink sticks) for calligraphy and ink painting, Nara sarashi-jofu (fine hand-woven, sun-bleached linen), and akahadayaki pottery.

Local Eats

Nara is renowned for its kaiseki, a 7-12 course visual and culinary journey using the freshest seasonal ingredients. Kaiseki's humble but hearty cousin, cha-gayu, rice porridge flavored with green tea and served with seasonal vegetables, has been a Nara staple throughout the ages, as have tangy nara-zuke, vegetables pickled in sake.

Todai-ji Temple Complex

Todai-ji Temple was conceived as the center of a religious and political network, and Nara's classical heart beats in the massive Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha), home to the monumental Daibutsu (Great Buddha). The complex's oldest building, the 8th-century San-gatsu-do, houses some of the finest examples of serene, 8th-century Tenpyo-era statues in Japan.