Nara Hidden Gems
Japan's first permanent capital — giant bronze Buddhas, the oldest wooden buildings on earth, and free-roaming deer in the middle of town.
7 spots
Climate & Best Season
A hot, humid basin in summer and cold in winter; the Yoshino mountains are cooler and see snow. Blossoms in April, foliage in November.
Famous For (Food)
- Kakinoha-zushi
- Miwa somen
- Narazuke pickles
- Kudzu sweets
Signature Sights
- Todaiji & Nara Park
- Kasuga Taisha
- Horyuji (UNESCO)
- Mt. Yoshino cherry blossoms
Todaiji Temple — Japan's Largest Bronze Buddha
Todaiji Temple (東大寺, 'Great Eastern Temple') houses the Daibutsu (大仏, Great Buddha) — a 15-meter-tall bronze statue of V…
Kasuga Taisha — 3,000 Stone and Bronze Lanterns
Kasuga Taisha (春日大社) is Nara's most important Shinto shrine, established in 768 AD as the tutelary shrine of the powerfu…
Kofukuji Temple — Five-Story Pagoda & Buddhist Treasures
Kofukuji (興福寺) is a UNESCO World Heritage temple founded in 669 AD as the clan temple of the powerful Fujiwara family, s…
Horyuji Temple — World's Oldest Wooden Buildings
Horyuji (法隆寺) is a UNESCO World Heritage temple containing the world's oldest surviving wooden structures — the Main Hal…
Yakushiji Temple — Twin Pagodas & Healing Buddha
Yakushiji (薬師寺) is a UNESCO World Heritage temple founded in 680 AD, famous for its twin pagodas flanking the Main Hall…
Gangoji Temple — Nara's Oldest Temple & Roof Tile Museum
Gangoji (元興寺) is one of Nara's Seven Great Temples and Japan's oldest temple, originally founded in 588 AD in Asuka befo…
Toshodaiji Temple — Tang Dynasty Architecture Preserved
When the Chinese monk Jianzhen finally reached Japan in 754 AD after five shipwrecks, pirate attacks, and twelve years a…