Most first-time vacationers instantly consider Tokyo when planning a visit to Japan. From hi-tech sights to vibrant tradition, the bustling capital provides the final word fashionable Japanese expertise. Nevertheless, the town may be fairly overwhelming and tiring to navigate.
If you happen to’re searching for a extra peaceable and laid-back vacation spot to go to with the entire household, Osaka is a sensible choice with due to the wealthy historical past that may enchantment to seniors and kid-friendly deer encounters.
Other than being house to Common Studios Japan, Osaka’s location within the Kansai area makes it an important base to discover different historic locations close to the town like Kyoto and Nara, each of that are situated lower than an hour away from Osaka. A lot of Nara’s primary sights are centrally situated round Nara Park and you’ll simply go to them on a day tour simply by strolling round.
Nara was as soon as Japan’s everlasting capital and is house to a powerful variety of cultural websites, together with a few of Japan’s oldest and largest temples. However the peaceable metropolis is finest recognized for being the house of over 1,200 sacred deer who wander round freely in metropolis parks and temples.
Throughout our household trip in Osaka final June 2023, we kicked off our journey with a day tour to the historic metropolis of Nara. Whereas it’s simple sufficient to get right here by public transport should you don’t thoughts strolling, since we had been touring in a gaggle with children and seniors, we had a van with an area driver for many of our day journeys, and obtained the providers of Sachi, an area information who shared the historical past of the locations we visited and helped us take full group pictures. (Thanks, Sachi!)
Our first cease was the traditional Todaji Temple or “Nice Japanese Temple,” one among Japan’s most well-known and traditionally important temples and a serious metropolis landmark. This temple was initially constructed in 752 as the top temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan earlier than the capital was moved away from Nara in 784.
The constructing’s primary corridor often known as the Daibutsuden (Huge Buddha Corridor) has the excellence of being one of many world’s largest picket buildings with the frontage 57.01 meters huge. It additionally homes one among Japan’s largest bronze statues of a seated Buddha, measuring virtually 15 meters excessive (48.91 toes).
A preferred attraction contained in the corridor (particularly for varsity children) is a pillar with a gap in its base that’s the identical measurement because the Daibutsu’s nostril (18” in diameter). It’s mentioned that those that can match and squeeze by way of the opening can be granted enlightenment of their subsequent life. My nephews managed to crawl and make it by way of, however the adults handed on making an attempt it out.
One other metropolis landmark we visited was Kōfuku-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple that was as soon as one of many highly effective Seven Nice Temples within the metropolis. The temple’s five-storied pagoda, initially erected in 730, is taken into account the second-tallest picket pagoda in Japan. On the time we visited, it was beginning to bear some repairs for the primary time in about 120 years, so there have been some scaffoldings across the construction, however it nonetheless seemed spectacular.
Then it was off to lunch at Higashimuki Procuring Avenue, an arcade with rows of eating places and outlets. Our information had organized lunch at Grancha, a standard Japanese restaurant that makes a speciality of Kamameshi, a Japanese meal the place the dish is cooked in an iron pot (the ‘kama’) served with totally different toppings like greens, meat and fish, together with facet dishes. This supplied a calming sit-down expertise with consolation meals.
Whereas strolling across the arcade the place we had lunch, I noticed Yamato Craft Beer Desk, which serves meat, pizza and craft beer. Sadly, the brewpub was nonetheless closed once we handed by however the place seemed fascinating. It’s a couple of minute stroll from the Kintetsu Nara Station.
The spotlight of the journey was feeding the deer at Nara Metropolis Park. Situated within the central park of Nara Metropolis, this huge inexperienced space encompasses 4 world heritage websites of UNESCO, with origins relationship again a minimum of to the eighth century.
Vacationers have an opportunity to work together with a number of the wild deer who roam freely across the park grounds. There’s an estimated 1,200 deer freely roaming across the park.
Why are there so many deer in Nara? In line with native legends, a piece of Nara Park is situated on the grounds of Kasuga Taisha Shrine. It’s believed that the god of the shrine rode a white deer from what’s now Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture (north of Tokyo) to Mount Mikasa in Nara. Due to this fact, since historic instances, the deer right here have lengthy been fastidiously protected as in Nara.
Even in fashionable instances, they’re thought-about as messengers of the gods. The deer in Nara symbolize the town and have even been designated as a pure treasure.
The deer have realized to bow and pay respects to guests to ask for meals. Vacationers should purchase rice crackers (costing round 200 Yen) for the deer and provide them across the park.
Apart kind all of the deer roaming freely, there’s a separate part in Nara for the newborn deer, with many new fawns born in late Spring. The does and their newborns are protected on the Roku-en deer heart till the fawns are sufficiently old to comply with their moms. Each day in June from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, you’ll be able to go to and see the fawns on the heart, earlier than they’re launched into the park.
Whereas I solely revisited Nara on a day tour with the household, throughout a earlier journey to Japan earlier than the pandemic, some mates and I stayed in Nara in a single day to benefit from the native appeal and discover different vacationer sights there.
There are different historic spots of curiosity you’ll be able to go to round Nara that are about a number of kilometers exterior of central Nara and finest accessed by bus or prepare.
There are literally eight properties included within the Historic Monuments of Historical Nara thought-about UNESCO World Heritage Websites together with 5 Buddhist Temples, a Shinto Shrine and a primeval forest you could go to. These are:
- Todai-ji Temple – Buddhist Temple
- Kohfuku-ji Temple – Buddhist Temple
- Kasuga-Taisha Shrine – Shinto Shrine
- Kasugayama Primeval Forest – forest
- Gango-ji Temple – Buddhist Temple
- Yakushi-ji Temple – Buddhist Temple
- Toshodai-ji Temple – Buddhist Temple
- Heijo Palace / Nara Palace Website – Imperial residence
If you happen to’re already in Nara Park, I like to recommend you go to the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, which is legendary for having 2,000 stone lanterns and 1,000 hanging lanterns inside the shrine premises. You too can go memento buying at Nara Nagomikan, the most important memento store in Nara.
In comparison with another Japanese cities, Nara will get fairly quiet within the late afternoons and evenings. There are a couple of native outlets and sake bars the place you’ll be able to chill out after dinner and loads of comfort shops to purchase meals from should you’re on a price range.
However in case you don’t have time to spare, it’s simple sufficient to get to Nara from Osaka and go to a couple of of the principle sights inside Nara on day journeys with out having to remain in a single day.
get to Nara from Osaka
- By JR Railways: A number of speedy trains function between Osaka (JR Osaka Station) and Nara (JR Nara Station). The a method journey takes about 45 minutes and prices 820 yen. That is lined by the Japan Rail Go. The prepare additionally stops at Osaka’s Tennoji Station (half-hour, 510 yen a method). The JR Nara Station is a couple of 15-20 minute stroll to Kofukuji and Nara park, however you there are native buses accessible you could experience.
- By Kintetsu Railway: By restricted specific, the a method journey from Osaka-Namba Station to Nara (Kintetsu Nara Station) takes about half-hour and prices 1200-1300 yen. This specific, it takes a bit longer however is cheaper at 680 yen. Trains additionally cease at Tsuruhashi Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line. Take be aware, that the Japan Rail Go cannot be used on Kintetsu trains. You’ll have to get a separate prepare ticket to experience this. The Kintetsu station is an underground station that’s comparatively close to Kofukuji and Nara Park.
