Spots in Nara City Area

Area

Nara
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  Okinawa

Nara City

Category

Byakugouji Temple

4.0

48 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Byakugoujichou 392

This is a temple in Byakugoji-cho, Nara City. It is said it was built on the ruins of a mountain cabin of Shiki no Mikoto, the seventh prince of Tenji Emperor. There are several Important Cultural Properties at the shrine such as the sitting statue of Amitabha Tathagata and a sitting statue of Yamaraja, the Judge of the afterlife. The precinct at the top of the 100 steps stone stairway is also known as a scenic spot overviewing Nara City. Visitors can also enjoy the five-colored camellia, one of the three famous camellias in Nara.

This temple dates back to the 10th century and it is a quiet place which is usually free of hordes of tourists. There are many fine buildings here and an attentive staff. The souvenir posters are...
Naramachi Mechanical Toy Museum

4.0

77 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nara Pref. Narashi Inyouchou 7

Located inside a traditional Naramachi townhouse, this hands-on museum allows guests to touch and play with toys from yesteryear. The museum's permanent exhibits feature reproductions of mechanical toys from the Edo and later periods which guests can play with. It also hosts events including seminars where participants can try their hand at making toys.

We had a great time here!! Ive read so many good reviews and decided to take a walk to the place with our children (12 and 10 yo). The place is filled with traditional/ancient Japanese toys. You...
Tamukeyama Hachimangu Shrine

3.5

65 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Zoushichou 434

This is a shrine in Nara City. It is located in Tamukeyama which is famous as a beauty spot for its autumnal leaves, and it is built to the north of Tōdai-ji’s Hokke-do Hall (also called “Sangastu-do Hall”). Its origins lie in the summoning and enshrinement secured from Kyoto’s Usa Hachimangu Shrine which were the deities summoned to protect Tōdai-ji on the occasion of Tōdai-ji and the Great Buddha being built. The ancient log house structure of the treasure house was relocated from the master’s warehouse from Tōdai-ji’s oil storehouse in the Nara period, and it is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Also housed on the grounds of the temple are such a National Treasure as a “Chinese-style ritual saddle” and an Important Cultural Property like a “21 wooden bugaku theatre mask”.

A small, attractive shrine. I purchased my first goshuincho there, and the lady wrote something lovely that I cant yet read (my Japanese is limited!) in my book, so I was very pleased.
Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City

4.0

44 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nara Pref. Narashi Takabatakechou 600-1

This is a photo gallery next to Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple in Takabatake Town, Nara City. The gallery possesses the entire 80,000 item collection of photographer Irie Taikichi, known for capturing the various Yamato scenery around Nara, and holds exhibitions based around these works and also the work of amateurs. The building itself, a work of architect Kisho Kurokawa, is another highlight and represents the importance of harmony with the environment.

Located slightly away from the main sights, this photography museum hosts temporary exhibitions throughout the year. At the time of my visit it was showing two interesting exhibitions:Irie...
Hannya-ji Temple

3.5

52 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Hannyajichou 221

A Buddhist temple founded by Hyegwan, a priest from Goguryeo, in the Asuka period. Later, in 735, Emperor Shomu had 600 copies of the Great Perfection of Wisdom buried at the temple to have it serve as a guardian of the unlucky northeastern side of ancient Nara; the temple was renamed the Hannya-ji and it was designated an Imperial temple. The temple’s impressive two-tier gate is an impressive example of Kamakura period architecture. In autumn, 150 thousand cosmos plants come into beautiful and elegant bloom.

期間限定で御開帳されていた阿弥陀如来像の拝観に行ってきました。重文で白鳳時代の秘仏です。ここは聖武天皇が平城京の鬼門を守護するために堂塔を建立したのが始りです。十三重石宝塔の軸石から見つかった白鳳秘仏等が公開されていました。丁度期間中にはここのもう一方の売りである「コスモス」が満開でした。通称名、コスモス寺として有名です。
Naramachi Museum

4.0

66 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Nishinoshinyachou 14

A private museum built in Naramachi (Town of Nara), an area which still retains an old-fashioned townscape. A portion of the owner’s home was remodeled to make a space for the museum. The museum presents the history and culture of Naramachi via folk custom materials, signs, Buddhist imagery, artwork, and old items once used as part of people’s everyday lives from the Edo to the Taisho periods. The museum also sells “migawari-saru (monkey),” local charms which provide protection from evil and harm. Museum entry is free. Closest station: Kintetsu-Nara Station.

A small museum with huge passion. A rather eclectic collection of things from old Nara. Felt refreshing after visiting the more obvious sites with the crowds. Spent maybe 30-45 mins in there and I...
Enjo-ji Temple

4.5

30 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Ninnikusenchou 1273

This is an old temple said to have been built in the Heian period, known as one of the five important temples of Kita-Yamato. Inside the grounds are lined historic structures including Japan's oldest Kasuga-zukuri style main building, the Kasuga-do and Hakusan-do Shrine designated as National Treasures, and a main building (containing an enshrined image of Amitabha) with an attached stage said to have been rebuilt in the Muromachi-period (1336-1573). The beautiful garden around the central pond stretching out from the two-storied gate Romon was favored by the nobility from the Heian to Kamakura periods and is an important remaining example of what resembles a Heian-style garden featuring characteristics of both shuyu-shiki and jodo-shiki.

柳生道の中間地点ほどに位置している古刹です。大日如来坐像は国宝で、運慶初期の作だそうで、豊かな表現力が青年期の運慶を物語っています。金箔が所々に残っていました。浄土式庭園も見どころです。春日堂・白山堂も国宝です。
Daian-ji Temple

4.0

27 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Daianji 2-18-1

This temple is located at Daian-ji 2-chome in Nara City. It originated from Kumagori-shoja Monastery, which was built by Prince Shotoku. The wooden standing statue of the Eleven-headed Kannon has been designated an Important Cultural Property, and there’s also a wooden standing statue of the Four Heavenly Kings and other Buddhist statues from the Nara period. Nowadays, it is known as the “cancer sealing temple.”

従来であれば秋10月1日-11月30日に《本尊；十一面観音菩薩立像（国重要文化財）一本造...
Ume-no-sato Tsukigase Onsen

3.5

14 Reviews

Accommodations / Hot Spring

Nara Nara-shi Tsukigase Oyama 2681

"A hot spring bath house in Mt. Tsukigaseo, Nara City. The baths are fed by the Tsukigase Onen called ""Bijin-no-Yu (Bath for Beauty)"", a simple thermal hot spring with weak alkalinity tthat is said to be effective at helping with nerve pain, muscle pain, and joint pain. They have two baths, Cha-no-Yu (Tea Bath) and Ume-no-Yu (Plum Bath) which switch genders every day, which feature indoor baths as well as open-air baths and sauna. From the open-air bath you can look over the Iga Basin (Only from the Cha-no-Yu side). In the dining hall there is a private room available that can accommodate up to 28 people (reservation required)."

瓜田に履を納れずと続くは周知。温泉敷地内にある月ケ瀬地区、市の共用施設「ふれあい市場」はよく利用する。月ケ瀬では他人の畑の近所に車を止めてはならない。作物を眺めるのはかろうじて許されるが、一本の茶葉の味を確かめることなどは許されない。どう区別するのか、多いのだろうか特定の村人以外による農作物の盗難には余程不信感があるらしい。村人らしいご婦人に叱られたばかりであるから、芽が出たばかりの...
Hokke Do (Sangatsu Do)

4.0

48 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Nara-shi Zoshicho 406-1

There is an impressive and very old statue of Guan Yin or Kannon in this place. Apparently its over a thousand years old. There are also the four heavenly kings that are also very old. But it is an...
Obitoke-dera Temple

4.0

27 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Nara-shi Imaichicho 734

A temple in Imaichi-cho, Nara City. The temple's origins stem from the Tamamatsu-An monastery, one of the Iwabuchi-senbo (one thousand temple lodgings located in precipitous terrain) founded by Gonso Daitoku, the mentor of Kobo Daishi. The temple's primary object of worship, Jizo the bodhisattva of children and childbirth, has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan and draws people praying for easy delivery and conception. It is also known by the name Haraobi (Maternity Belt) Jizo.

本尊の帯解子安地蔵菩薩は子供を望む夫婦や安産にご利益があることで有名です。全国的にも多数の人が祈願に参拝されます。ここには他にも春日赤童子画像や虚空蔵菩薩坐像などの文化財も公開される時期があります。１１月１２日から１８日の１週間と来年３月１日から８日までの間、特別公開されます。立派な門構えの格式も高い寺院でした。
Ryosenji Temple

4.0

21 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Nara-shi Nakamachi 3879

A temple in Naka-machi, Nara City. It was founded by the monk Gyoki under orders from Emperor Shomu in 736. The main hall was rebuilt during the Kamakura Period and has been designated a National Treasure. The temple holds many precious Buddhist statues including the principal object of worship, a seated statue of Yakushinyorai which has been designated an Important Cultural Property. There's also a rose garden on the grounds with 2,000 rose plants covering 200 different varieties.

綺麗に設えられたバラ園はそれなりに美しい。花は咲き始めたり既に盛りであったりする。いくつかの香り高い種類を期待して行ったが蕾もろくにない種類もあった。見事なバラ園は世間にいくつもあるが、この種類豊富なバラ苗販(直)売所は珍しいかもしれない。次々と売れていくから、今年は何度か通ってみようかと思う。
Nara Centennial Hall

3.5

5 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Nara-shi Sanjomiyamaecho 7-1

This multipurpose hall is located in front of Nara Station in Sanjomiyamae-cho, Nara City. Facilities include a large hall with 1,500 seats, a simultaneous interpretation booth capable of handling four languages at the same time, and moveable audience seats. The hall can be used for concerts, classical theater productions, and other performances, as well as conventions and all manner of purposes. There are adjoining medium- and small-sized halls designed for classical music concerts.

コンサートなどのホールがあります。設計は磯崎新です。このあたりは、奈良の中止？になった博覧会の名残りですね。
The Museum Yamato Bunkakan

4.0

21 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nara Pref. Narashi Gakuenminami 1-11-6

The Namako-style walls of The Museum Yamato Bunkakan are evocative of the architecture of the Momoyama Period. Its corridors are supported by imposing wooden framework reminiscent of the kitchen of a Zen monastery, while the soft light from the paper screen doors gives the interior a dignified atmosphere. The museum's collection, which centers primarily on paintings, writings, sculptures, ceramics, lacquer work, metalwork, textiles, and glasswork from Japan, China, and Korea, includes four National Treasures, 31 Important Cultural Properties, and 14 important art objects. The museum also holds exhibits on various themes and is a place where beautiful seasonal flowers can be enjoyed all year long.

Yamato Bunkakan is a museum of cultural objects and fin arts. It is neither too big, nor too small, and as it is usually not crowded, you can appreciate the exhibit in a tranquil ambience. It is just...
Tenpyoan (Todai-ji Temple Branch)

4.5

24 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Nara Pref. Narashi Kasuganochou 16 Todaiji Temple Yumeikaze Hiroba

This is a Japanese confectionary store in the Yume-Kaze Plaza in front of the gate of the Todai-ji Temple in Kasugano Town, Nara City. The store makes sweets from locally grown ingredients such as Japanese Yamato-imo yam and Yoshino-kuzu arrowroot. A popular item is the Japanese hotcake sweet bean paste sandwich called Yamato sanzan dorayaki. They are made freshly daily with red beans, and flour and eggs from a Tokachi farm. There is also a cafe on the second floor where customers can enjoy sweets and Miwa Somen noodles.

I was looking for something sweet on my way out from Nara Park, and this shop looked really nice! I bought a small strawberry daifuku and a matcha cake with white chocolate cream filling. Let me tell...
Sch Hojinnaragakuen Seminar house shiganaoyakyukyo

4.0

37 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Takabatakechou 1237-2

"This is the site of the residence of Naoya Shiga, the famous ""God of Novels. The building was designed by Naoya Shiga himself in the early Showa period (early 20th century), and is unique in that it was built in the sukiya (tea-ceremony room) style with Western influences. In 1978, the Nara Gakuen Educational Foundation acquired the building from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and opened it to the public as a museum and seminar house."

入口と出口が違うので脱いだ靴を袋に入れて持ち歩きます。2階の窓に腰掛けて庭をボーッと眺める。茶室の掃き出し窓に腰掛けて中庭をボーッと眺める。サンルームでボーッと座って台所が機能的だわ〜って感心する。ダイニングルームの天井の豪華な事❣️酷暑の最中に訪問したけど、此方は窓から風が吹き抜けて天国の様でした。
Nanendo Temple

4.0

21 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Noboriojichou 48

This octagonal temple located inside the Kohfukuji Temple is designated an Important Cultural Property. As the ninth station in the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, the temple is visited by an unending stream of worshippers. The temple was built in 813 by the noble Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu in prayer for the happiness in the next world of his father, Fujiwara no Uchimaro. The current temple was rebuilt in 1789, the fourth time the temple was rebuilt, in an old-fashioned style believed to be modeled after the Hokuendo Temple, also located inside the Kohfukuji. The two principle objects of worship enshrined inside the temple, the Seated Figure of Amoghapasa and the Standing Figures of the Four Heavenly Kings, were created by famed sculptor Kokei. The temple doors behind which these statues are hidden are only opened on October 17 each year during the Reading of the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra.

興福寺の境内の北西にあります。興福寺内の建築としては創建自体も五重塔よりも古いそうです。現存している建物は再建されたものですが、1210年頃ということで、境内の建物としては最も長いレべルだそうです。その割にはここに来る人は少なく、じっくり鑑賞できました。
Goryo Jinja Shrine

3.0

27 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Narashi Yakushidouchou 24

This shrine, said to have been built at the behest of Emperor Kanmu during the Enryaku period (circa 800 AD) is famous for its flowers of each season. In the springtime, there are marvelous sakura and peonies blooming. The Shusse Inari Shrine within the grounds is said to bind relationships together and when entreated, will bring about romance. The heart shaped votive tablets, love fortunes, and amulets are very cute.

奈良町の南の方にある神社。このあたりは元興寺の元寺域で、南大門があった場所とのこと。門前の狛犬の足に注目です。
Imanishi Sei Hyoe Store

4.5

17 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Nara Nara-shi Fukuchiincho 24-1

500円で利き酒体験。説明を聞きながら5種類の日本酒を楽しみました。圧倒的に外国人観光客の方が多くいらして、英語の説明を聞きながら楽しんでおられました。おみやげにおちょこもいただき、大満足。
Shouhaku Art Museum

4.0

19 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nara Pref. Narashi Tomigaoka 2-1-4

The Shouhaku Art Museum is located close to the Obuchi Pond in Tomigaoka 2-chome, Nara City. It was opened in 1994 thanks to works donated by Shoko Uemura and Atsushi Uemura. The collection of Nihonga (Japanese-style paintings) on display spans three generations from Shoen Uemura who was the first woman to receive the Order of Culture, to Shoko Uemura and Atsushi Uemura.

上村松園はじめ三代の作品を所属する美術館です。上村松園好きは必見ですね。ちょっとアクセス悪いのは残念か。

Nara Nara City

Nara Park Naramachi / Takabatake Around JR and Kintetsu Nara Station Heijo Palace Remains / Nishinokyo

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Nara Areas

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.