Location: Nara prefecture Map
Nara (奈良市, Nara-shi) is the capital of the Nara prefecture of
the same name in the south of the Japanese main island of
Honshū. Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794 under the
name Heijō-kyō (平城京). Most of the temples and shrines were
founded during this time. The checkerboard-shaped city, with the
imperial palace in the center of the north side, had an
estimated 80-100,000 inhabitants around 780, of which around
8-10,000 administered the country as officials. This was done
according to the specifications of the very detailed Ritsuryō
legal code. At that time, the Yamato Empire had around 5 million
inhabitants, as many as the empire of Charlemagne, who ruled his
peasants much less efficiently with a traveling chancellery and
a handful of counts.
In 794, Kyōto (Heian-kyō) was newly
founded and made the capital. At first, no temples were
permitted there. The loss of secular power allowed Nara to
develop into a religious center. At the very beginning of the
Genpei War in 1180, a large part of the old buildings were
destroyed, but were soon rebuilt. In the Middle Ages, the
Tōdai-ji, which was close to the imperial family, and the
Kōfuku-ji, which was linked to the rulers of the powerful
Fujiwara clan, were the largest landowners in the region and in
competition with each other. They each kept their own troops
until such practices were stopped with the unification of the
empire in the 16th century.
Modern Nara is a few
kilometers east of the old capital. Its road network was laid
out in a checkerboard pattern based on the Chinese model. The
area was largely bought up by the state in the 1920s and
archaeologically examined in detail. This was completed by the
creation of museums there on the 1300th anniversary of the
city's founding, which was celebrated in 2010/11. Today Nara is
an important university city with the Kansai Science City
(関西文化学術研究都市) on the northern edge of the city.
Most
tourists visit Nara as a day trip from Kyoto. However, there is
more to see than can be enjoyed in one day. It would be better
to plan 2-3 days, one for the buildings in and around Nara Park,
one for the National Museum and one day for the remaining sights
in the area of the old capital. The well-preserved temple
complex and the remains of the Imperial Palace are UNESCO World
Heritage sites because of their historical significance.
City tourist information (in the former train station building).
English, Chinese and Korean are spoken.
Another branch is at
Kintetsu Station.
Guides with foreign language skills are also
available. Nara Walker is a commercial organization (Apr.-Sept. Sat. 10
a.m.; ¥ 2000). The guides from the Nara Sightseeing Volunteer Guides and
the Nara SGG Club are more interested in improving their foreign
language skills through conversation, but they work for free. Advance
booking is recommended in any case.
Nara Visitor Center & Inn,
Ikenocho, 3 (operated by the prefecture, part of its administrative
building). Tel.: +81742818585. Money exchange machine for 12 currencies,
free luggage storage during the day, prayer room for Koran believers,
free WiFi. 45-minute demonstration tea ceremony on Wednesdays.
Calligraphy, origami and cosplay instructions in English, Korean and
Chinese. Open: Info 8.00-21.00; Hotel check-in: 15.00.
There are several buildings in Nara that have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are: Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Shrine, Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōshōdai-ji and the remains of the Heijō Palace.
Even in ancient times people spoke of the "seven great temples of
Nara" (南都七大寺, Nanto-shichidaiji). The absolute must-see for a visit to
Nara is:
1 Kōfuku-ji (興福寺). Of the temple complex with its
original 175 buildings, 12 have survived. The remaining buildings fell
victim to fires and the like. The main hall was rebuilt in 2010-6 (open
from 9 a.m.). The temple was originally built in Asuka, but was moved
here in 710. It is the main temple of the Fuijwara family. A three-story
(1143) and a five-story pagoda (1426) have been preserved. The
five-story pagoda is only a few centimeters smaller than the Tō-ji
pagoda in Kyoto, making it the second largest in Japan (the complete
dismantling and reconstruction of the five-story pagoda will take until
at least 2030). The two small octagonal halls, Hokuen-dō and Nan'en-dō,
both rebuilt several times, the current one from the 16th century,
contain outstanding early examples of Japanese Buddhist sculpture.
Unfortunately, they are only open to the public on a few days a year.
The temple is one of the few that belongs to the Buddhist Hossō school,
unknown in the West, which spreads the Japanese form of the
intellectually demanding Yogācāra teachings. Today, seventeen items from
the temple are on the list of Japanese national treasures, most of which
are in the Kokuhokan temple museum. The modern concrete building is a
national treasure trove, displaying the statues and works of art rescued
from the destroyed buildings. Open: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Price: Treasure
House ¥ 500.
2 Gangō-ji (元興寺), 奈良県奈良市中院町11 . Founded in the 7th
century as Asuka-dera in the older capital, moved here after 716. By the
Meiji era, the temple had fallen into great disrepair. The pagoda burned
down. When money was still tight after the Pacific War during the
renovation in the 1950s/60s, both new and old Nara-era roof tiles were
used to cover the halls, which can be clearly seen in the different
colors. Three historical sites are well preserved: a five-story mini
pagoda, the main hall Gangō-ji Gokurakubō and the Zen room.
3
Kasuga-jinsha (春日大社, “Shrine of 10,000 Lanterns”), 〒630-8212
奈良県奈良市春日野町160 (Bus 7, 78, 98, stop number: B10). The court noble
Fujiwara no Fubito built a shrine on his property at the foot of
Kasuga-yama (also Mikasa-yama; 283m). The gods of the Kashima and Katori
shrines are worshipped there as Fubito's ancestors. Both were native to
the Kantō region east of present-day Tokyo; according to legend, they
"moved here" in 767. Soon after, the other two deities - Ame no koyane
no mikoto and Hime no kami from Hiraoka - joined them. A symbol of
Ame... is the (white) deer, which is now commemorated by a large
gargoyle at the main entrance. The characteristic four-part shape of the
main building is said to date from the time of its founding. As with all
Shinto shrines, the buildings are constantly being replaced by new,
usually identical ones - until 1862/3 in twenty-year cycles. The four
small main halls, which are connected next to each other, are located in
an area within the shrine complex that is not accessible to visitors and
for which an entrance fee is charged. Most of the outbuildings of the
Kasuga Shrine are equipped with countless metal lanterns, while the even
more numerous stone lanterns are set up along the paths to the shrine.
These lanterns are donations from believers that have accumulated over
the centuries. Only twice a year, at the festival of the change of
seasons in spring (setsubun) and at the time of the Bon Festival in
August, a few thousand lanterns are lit. Of the numerous other
(sub-)shrines that are scattered across the several square kilometers of
wooded grounds, the Wakamiya is the most important.
In the area
of the park is the Man'yo Botanical Garden. Less scientific than
designed for the seasonal abundance of iris and wisteria flowers.
Not a World Heritage Site, but still worth seeing is the 4
Shin-Yakushiji (新薬師寺), 奈良県奈良市高畑町1352. The temple was founded in 747 by
Empress Kōmyō, wife of Emperor Shōmu, to pray for her husband who was
suffering from eye disease. The original complex consisted of a main
hall, a teaching hall, an east and a west pagoda, but almost all of the
temple's buildings from the Tempyō period were destroyed by lightning
strikes, typhoons and the devastation at the end of the Heian period.
Only the main hall (hondō) survived and is therefore an important
example of early Nara architecture. The most important work of art are
the figures of the 12 heavenly generals.
Next door is the Irie
Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography (入江泰𠮷記念奈良市写真美術館), open 9:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Irie Taikichi specialized in portraits of Buddhist
objects from the Nara region, most of his photographs were taken between
1955 and 1980.
5 Tōdai-ji (金光明四天王護国之寺), 406-1, Zōshi-chō, Nara-shi, Nara-ken
630-8587, 奈良県奈良市雑司町406-1 . The Great East Temple or Tōdai-ji is the
main shrine of the Buddhist Kengon sect ("Flower Garland School"). It
was inaugurated in 752. The temple, which is actually a spacious temple
district, consists of several buildings, unfortunately not all of which
have survived, although they were quickly rebuilt after the Gempei War
in 1189. The main axis (south-north) of the temple complex is formed by
Nandai-mon ("south gate"), Chu-mon ("middle gate"), Daibutsuden ("Hall
of the Great Buddha") and Kodo. To the west of these are Shingon-in,
Sashizudo, Shōsō'in, Kaidan-in, Saidei-mon and Tegai-mon. To the east of
these are Tonan-in, the temple office, Tōtō Pagoda, the Chisokuin
Hogon-in bell tower, Oyuya, Hashuin Nembutsudō, Sammai-dō, Kaisaidō,
Kannon-in, Wakasai, Sangatsu-do, Nigasu-dō and the Tamakayama Hachimangu
Shrine. 26 of the buildings have been declared Japanese national
treasures, and another 59 are "significant cultural assets." The
Tengai-mon is the only original building that has been preserved. It was
extensively renovated between 1906 and 1913, and the current hall of the
Great Buddha from the 17th century is a third smaller than the original.
It was completely dismantled and re-roofed in the early 1970s. The
complex, which stretches up a mountainside, includes numerous smaller
temples, the most beautiful of which, at the top of the slope with a
view over Nara, is the Nigatsudō, rebuilt after a fire in 1669.
Nowadays, the site is a popular place for school classes and teachers
with megaphones, who, often just a few meters apart, all make the same
thing audible over 100m. Price: Museum 800 yen, Great Buddha 1000 yen.
Nandaimon (南大門): Entrance gate with the two 8.5m high guardian
statues (Kongōrishiki). Built at the end of the Nara period, destroyed
by a typhoon in 962, rebuilt in 1199. The two gigantic figures from the
time of the new building in the passage represent Nārayāna, an
incarnation of Brahma and Vajrasattva.
Officially Hokkedō (法華堂,
colloquially Sangatsudō 三月堂): teaching hall, built according to the
chronicles from 733, actually probably in the 740s under Rōben as
Kōnshō-ji. Part of the Tōdai-ji since 753. The prayer hall was expanded
in 1199/1200. Several original statues were moved there when the
earthquake-proof 3 Tōdaiji Museum opened at the south gate in 2011. The
main figure has been back in its original place since 2013 after
renovation work was completed. Only open on a few days.
Shōsōin
(正倉院): Former imperial treasury for the preservation of Buddhist cult
objects and temple treasures. Originally two log cabins built in 756,
which were probably enlarged in the 10th century by an intermediate
building. During the Tokugawa era, except for the semi-annual
ventilation, only opened to visitors three times. Nationalized since
1875 under the control of the court office. Empty since 1963, the former
contents form the core of the National Museum's holdings.
Kaidan'in
(戒壇院): Ordination hall, west of the main hall. The current building had
to be rebuilt around 1730. The interior contains the statues of
Shakyamuni and Taho-Nyorai. In the corners are the four heavenly kings
in full armor.
Shōrō, the open bell tower, contains the 49-ton "Great
Bell of Nara," which was first cast in 732. Today it is a new cast from
1239; the first bell was badly damaged in a typhoon in 989.
Rōben-dō,
with a statue, commemorates the first abbot.
Shunjō-dō contains a
statue of the abbot Chōgen, who was close to the Pure Land and who
headed the temple after the time of the great fire in 1180 and the
reconstruction.
The main attraction is the hall of the "Great
Buddha," the Daibustu-den. It is one of the largest wooden structures in
the world. With a length of 57m, a width of 50.5m and a height of 48.5m,
it is almost hard to believe that this is a scaled-down replica. The
figure in the main hall symbolizes Vairocana, although the statue is
often simply referred to as "Rochana." The bronze seated statue itself
is 16.2m high, it is located on a bronze seat pedestal, which is
designed as a 56-leaf, filigree decorated lotus flower and has a
circumference of 20.7m. The production of the first cast in the 8th
century, which failed several times and was ultimately made in 41
layers, almost led to the state bankruptcy. The Tōdaiji construction
office, which was established in 743, including the sutra copying
office, had 1000 permanent employees and 7-8000 craftsmen and assistants
at its peak. After fires and earthquakes, only the base is original
today, all other parts were later recast.
The 4.60m high bronze
lantern in the forecourt of the great hall is a masterpiece of finely
crafted bronze casting. The original from 752 is in the museum, a
replica stands outside.
The two pagodas of the temple, destroyed in
1180, were never rebuilt.
Also world heritage sites, but west of the city are:
6
Tōshōdai-ji (唐招提寺), 14 Gojōchō (Bus 63, 72, 78). The temple belongs to
the Risshu school of Buddhism. The main hall, built in 781 and
completely renovated in 2000-10, is a national treasure. The lecture
hall Kōdō comes from the Imperial Palace in Nara and is the only
well-preserved building in the palace. In the founder's hall (mieidō),
dedicated to the monk Ganjin, there is his wooden statue, which is open
to visitors once a year from June 5th to 7th. At the temple festival on
May 19th, round fans Uchiwa are thrown into the crowd in the
fan-throwing ceremony (Uchiwa-maki).
Mausoleum of Suinin (宝来山古墳,
Hōraiyama Kofun; about 300m northwest of Tōshōdai-ji or Amagatsuji
train station). Kofun burial site. The legendary emperor in question is
considered to be the eleventh of the "heavenly dynasty" which, according
to legend, has ruled for 2650 years. Since the mythical stories of the
founding of the empire were not written until around 700, it is highly
doubtful whether there is any historical truth to be found here.
However, especially in the nationalistically exaggerated early Shōwa
era, belief in such things was mandatory, which is why the grave is an
important symbol for Japanese people. There is little to see from the
outside.
7 Yakushi-ji (薬師寺, "Medicine Buddha Temple"). Main temple
of the Hossō sect, founded in Fujiwara-kyō in 697 and moved to Nara in
716. It is named after the triad of the Medicine Buddha (Yakushi) with
two companion statues. The oldest surviving work of Buddhist legend
literature, the Nihon Ryōiki, was created in the temple around 800. Of
the temple complex, only the eastern pagoda (東塔, Tōtō) has been
preserved in its original form; it is 33.6 m high and has three floors
with intermediate roofs, so that it appears six-storey. It was the first
temple in Japan to have two pagodas south of the Kondō, following the
T’ang model. Buddha relics were located in the foundation of the western
one. Almost the entire temple burned down in 973. Reconstruction took
until 1015. In 1096 and 1321 there was severe damage from earthquakes.
The main hall and the southern gate were victims of a typhoon in 1445.
The western pagoda (西塔, Saitō) was completely burned down in 1528 along
with many other buildings in the war. It was rebuilt in 1981. Since
1991, the Genjō Sanzō-in behind the temple has been open, containing a
frontal bone relic of the important Chinese traveler to India and sutra
translator Hsüan-tsang (玄奘). After the reconstruction of the western
pagoda, the most recent renovation of the large prayer hall, the largest
building on the temple grounds, was completed in 2003. The interior of
the Jikin-dō, the former dining hall, was redesigned in 2013-7 by the
architects Tōyō Itō with modern ceiling elements intended to represent
waves. The original building from 730 burned down in 973 and was rebuilt
three decades later. The complete renovation of the temple is scheduled
to be completed by 2030. In 2011, the temple was decorated with a 55¢
stamp from the German Post Office.
It is a good four kilometers from the center of the modern city. The
Yamato-Saidaiji and Heijō train stations are close by. There are also
three bus lines from the main station. The area is not accessible by
car, the only parking space is in front of the Suzakumon. There is also
a bike rental there. If you don't rent a bike, you should plan three
hours for the tour because of the long distances. There are no cafes,
but if you need refreshment, there are some and shops south of the
Suzakumon.
In the run-up to the 1300th anniversary celebrations,
attempts were made to reconstruct some of the old buildings, but this
had to be based on models from later centuries, as no original objects
have survived except for the foundation stones embedded deep in the
ground. After the excavations were completed, the area between these
buildings of the old capital is largely green meadow.
Information
center for the replicas (復原事業情報館). Toilet next door. Open: 10 a.m. to 6
p.m.
Objects worth seeing, general opening times 9 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., are:
Daigokuden (第一次大極殿, Great Audience Hall; Bus 12, stop:
Sakicho Taikyokuden). Earthquake-proof, concrete-reinforced new
building, which is designed as a museum on the inside and contains,
among other things, the portable throne that was made for the
enthronement of the Taishō-tennō (1912) based on old models. The style
of the roof decoration imitates that of the later Heian period. Toilet
next door.
There are information boards scattered around the site
about some of the buildings that were not rebuilt and that were used for
various ceremonies. A base can be seen from the Chi'isakobe-mon gate.
Nanmon (南門, south gate of the outer palace area). Beginning of the
main axis dividing the city into east and west. In March 2022, a new
roof and an eastward extension began.
Suzakumon (朱雀門;
Suzakumon-hiroba bus stop, stop number: B1). New construction 1993-98.
The modern replica of the multi-story gate was characterized by enormous
cost overruns.
Heijōkyu Izanai-kan (平城宮いざない館). Mixture of information
center and museum that provides superficial information on the
historical background. Anyone who does not have a deeper knowledge of
Japanese history will get a certain insight into the function of the
administration here.
Kentoshi ship. A replica of the type of ship
used in the 8th/9th century, which was only very limitedly seaworthy due
to the lack of a keel. With explanatory exhibition.
Tō-in Teien
(東院庭園; buses 12, 14, stop: Heijokyuato Ikotenjikan). Reconstructed
palace garden, but lacking the usual finesse.
Museum of the
excavations. Finds from the excavations that do not have such high
artistic value to be included in the national museum, but still provide
insights into the reality of life at that time. Well signposted. Toilet
next door. Price: free.
No longer part of the palace grounds, but
nearby in the north are three kofun, which are gigantic, keyhole-shaped
mausoleums of rulers surrounded by moats, which were built between the
4th and 7th centuries. The Uwanabe-kofun, for example, is 130 meters
long. The Hishi'age-Kofun next door is said to contain the remains of
Nintoku's wife, Iwanohime-no-Mikoto, who, according to traditional
belief, died in 347. Between the two complexes lies the slightly smaller
Konabe-kofun.
Hokke-ji (法華寺), 882 Hokkeji-chō (Kintetsu Shin-Ōmiya
train stop, stop number: A27. Bus 12, 14 from the main station). The
5-story pagoda is a national treasure. The complex also includes the
pavilion of the Kōmyō Empress (✝ 760), who set up the main temple for a
nationwide network of Buddhist nunneries here. Until the 17th century,
the abbess was a member of the ruling family, which is why the temple
was comparatively richly endowed. Destroyed during the warlike Sengoku
period, the outstanding original works of art that remain are statues of
an 11-headed Kannon and a Yuimakoji. Most of the buildings were rebuilt
in the 17th century. The Karaku-en temple garden, a listed monument, is
exquisite. The Goma-dō hall, rebuilt in 2004 after 600 years, stands in
a pond. Open: 9:00-17:00. Price: ¥700, when the National Treasures are
on display (April 1-7, June 5-10 only) ¥1000; garden ¥300.
Nara National Museum (奈良国立博物館), 〒630-8213 奈良県奈良市登大路町50番地 .
Excellently curated collection of the most exquisite pieces of mainly
Buddhist art from the region's temples. 3-4 hours is the absolute
minimum for a visit. Attached is a research library for Buddhist art.
Open: 9:30-17:00, longer Saturdays seasonally; closed Mondays. Price:
¥700, special exhibitions extra.
Nara Prefectural Art Museum
(奈良県立美術館)
Neiraku Art Museum (寧楽美術館) . The Neiraku Museum was opened
in 1969.
Yamato Bunkakan (大和文華館), 1 Chome−11−6 Gakuenminami
(Gakuenmae train station, 7 minutes walk). East Asian art. Founded in
1970 based on the art collection of the Kintetsu Railway Company Board
of Directors. With a garden full of flowers in spring. Open:
10:00-17:00, closed on Mondays, special tours of individual objects at
14:00 on Sundays. Price: ¥ 630, special exhibitions ¥ 950.
Nara Park (Nara-kōen) is also known for its tame deer. Please only
feed the deer the special food biscuits that are sold in the park. It
merges seamlessly into the wooded hill on which the Kasuga-jinsha
stands.
Isui-en (依水園). The beautiful garden with carp pond dates back
to the Meiji period. It is certainly one of the most beautiful gardens
in the city. Open: daily 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed: Tue–Wed.
Sarusawa-ike (猿沢池). Carp pond with a beautiful view of Kōfuku-ji.
Convention Center (奈良県コンベンションセンター), 1 Chome-691-1 Sanjooji.
You
can go hiking in the nature reserve in the hills behind the Kasuga
Shrine. Easy paths are marked, including to the Wakasuga peak. The
Uguisuno-taki waterfall is also popular.
The winding, toll road
Takamado-yama Drive (高円山コース) leads to two viewing points in the hills
east of Nara.
Nara YMCA Wellness and Sports Center (YMCA 西大寺南保育園,
indoor swimming pool), 1 Chome−7−31 Kunimicho, Saidaiji.
Swimpia
(outdoor pool; in Mahoroba Health Park; Family Kōen-mae train station,
Kintesu-Kashihara Line). Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed on Tuesdays.
Price: 1 hour: ¥ 500, day pass ¥ 1320.
Jan. 1-3: Hatsumode first shrine visit of the year.
January,
4th Sunday: Otondo, burning of old amulets in the Kasuga Shrine. In the
evening fireworks and burning of vegetation at the top of Wakakusa Hill.
Feb. 3: Tsuina-e, ritual to ward off evil spirits in the eastern
main hall of Kōfuku-ji. Beginning of February: Setsubun, lighting of
thousands of lanterns in the Kasuga Shrine.
March: Shuni-e
evening ritual with burning of large torches to mark the beginning of
spring: 1-14 in the Nigatsudō of the Tōdaiji; 25-31 in the Yakushi-ji;
April 8-11 in the Shin-Yakushi-ji
End of March/beginning of
April: cherry blossom season.
April, 2nd weekend: Ocha-morishiki,
drinking tea together from a kettle in Saidai-ji.
May, 3rd Friday
and Saturday: Open air Nō performances in Kasuga Shrine and Kōfuku-ji.
August, first half: Nara Toka-e, 20,000 candles lit every night in
Nara Park.
August 7th, 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Ominugui, ritual
purification of the great Buddha in Tōdai-ji.
August 14th/15th:
Chungen mantaro, lighting of thousands of lanterns in Kasuga Shrine.
August 15th: Daimonji Okubiri, large fires on Mount Takamadō.
August, 2nd half: Naramachi Yuho, lantern festival in the streets of
Naramachi.
Sept. 17th: Bon Odori dances in Nigatsudō.
Full
moon at the end of September/beginning of October: Uneme festival at the
Sarusawa pond, temple festival of the Uneme-jinsha.
October,
beginning: Shika no Tsunokori, sawing off the horns of the half-tame
deer in Rokuen Park.
Oct. 16th-17th: Temple festival of the
Kango-jinsha.
October, 2nd half to mid-November: annual special
exhibition in the National Museum where objects from the Shōsō-in are
shown.
Nov. 3rd: Court music and dance performance in memory of
the Meiji-tennō, in the Kasuga-jinscha.
Dec. 15th-18th: Wakamiya
Onmatsuri in the Kasuga-jinsha, to ask for a good harvest in the next
year.
By plane
The nearest international airport is Kansai Airport near
Osaka. Many domestic budget airlines land in Osaka-Itami. Both airports
have direct bus connections to Nara (station square) every hour during
the day.
By train
JR
Nara main station (奈良駅). Shinkansen
trains do not stop in Nara. From Kyoto, the Kansai line goes to Nara
(Miyakoji express trains 40 minutes, normal 70 minutes) on the main line
between Nagoya and JR-Namba (Osaka). The Sakurai line continues into the
prefecture to Takada.
Nara is within the scope of the JR Kansai
Area Pass.
Kintetsu
English timetables and route maps of the
private railway company Kintetsu. The Japan Rail Pass is not valid on
their routes. The Kintetsu Rail Pass Plus also covers Nara. This also
applies to the Nara Kotsu city buses.
Nara-Kintetsu Station
(近鉄奈良駅), 29, Higashimuki-Nakamachi, Nara, Nara 630-8215, 奈良県奈良市東向中町29
(stop number: A28). From Osaka-Nanba, the Kintesu-Nara Line is the
fastest way to get to Nara; some trains run directly from/to
Kobe-Sannomiya. From Kyoto, take the Kyoto-Kinsetsu Line directly;
express trains take 35 minutes, express trains take 40 minutes.
Kintetsu-Heijō Station (平城駅; Kintetsu Kyōto Line, stop number: B25).
Closest station to visit the site of the old capital when coming from
Kyoto.
Yamato-Saidaiji Station (大和西大寺駅), 1-1, Saidaiji Kunimi-chō
1-chōme, Nara, Nara 631-0823, 奈良県奈良市西大寺国見町一丁目1-1 (Express train stop.
Three Kintetsu lines meet here: Kyoto, Nara, Kashihara.) . Convenient
for visiting the Palace Museum and the south gate of the old capital.
From Osaka it takes 30 minutes by express train. Last station for which
the Kansai Thru Pass is valid.
By bus
From Tokyo there are
various direct night buses that take 7-8 hours:
Kantō Bus and Willer
from Tokyo-Dineyland - Tokyo-Skytree - Tokyo Central Station.
Nara
Kotsu also leaves from Shinjuku bus station
By road
The
prefectural road 359, called Omiya-dōri, is the main axis running
east-west.
For pedestrians, the Sanjō-dōri, which runs 200m south
of it, between the central station and Nara Park, is more pleasant.
The "small" circuit of the most important sights from the train
station to Kōfuku-ji, through the park to Kasuga-jinsha and Tōdai-ji is
easy to manage on foot. However, you should set aside a full day for
this, especially if you are also visiting the National Museum (it is
worth a day in itself). Alternatively, you can take the ring lines 1 or
2, from JR station east exit, stops 2 or 5. The vehicles are yellow, and
the flat rate of ¥ 210 must be paid to the driver when you get on.
For all other lines (green/beige buses), you get on in the middle as
usual in the country, take a token with a number and pay the driver at
the front when you get off.
The JR station, Nara Station, is
considered the main station in the city. Most public buses to all sights
leave from the square at the west exit. There is a special "Park Route."
A few lines run in front of the east side of the station. At the “Bus
Information Center” counter, English and Chinese are usually spoken.
This is also where you can get tourist day tickets.
At Kintetsu
Station, buses stop on both sides of the street.
Nara Kotsu
operates buses in the city and prefecture (route network 2019). There
are three types of day tickets available for visitors at tourist
information offices and at the bus counter at the station square.
The company also operates three sightseeing bus lines, half-day
tours cost ¥ 4800, full day ¥ 7800, including audio guide and entrance
fees.
Lines 12 and 14 run from the station to the remains of the
old capital. The Tōshōdai-ji and Yakushi-ji temples, which are located a
little further west, can be reached with buses 70 and 72 (from
Kasuga-jinsha via Tōdai-ji and station stop 6) and 97 (from Tōdai-ji via
station stop 6).
Taxi
Night surcharge 20%. There are always
some at the station, otherwise flag one down or call a taxi:
Kintetsu: 0742-22-5501
Yamato: 0742-22-7171
Hattori: 0742-50-5521
The Sanjō Dōri shopping street connects the station with Nara Park.
The Higashimuki shopping arcade runs north-south and can be reached
from exit 2 of Kintetsu Station.
Specialized ramen restaurants are concentrated in the district of Tomio (富雄元町), south of the train station of the same name.
Cheap
1 Yuzan Annex (遊山ゲストハウス), Aburasakacho 423. Tel.:
+81-742817871. Guesthouse with 2 Japanese-style rooms and 2 with bunk
beds. Common room, WiFi. Open: Reception 7 a.m.-10 p.m., check-in 3 p.m.
2 Guesthouse Tamura (Behind the west entrance of the exclusive Nara
Hotel (bus stop of the same name). Tel.: +81-742818806. Bicycle rental.
Open: Reception 4 p.m.-2 a.m. No access 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Price: No credit
cards. Japanese room ¥ 3000-4500 p.p.; dorm bed ¥ 2500; breakfast ¥ 500.
Accepted payment methods: debit card, credit card.
3 Kurokami-yama
Camping (黒髪山キャンプフィールド), 1731 Narazakacho. Tel.: +81742221122. Urban.
Preferred for youth groups and school classes.
4 Nara Youth Hostel
(奈良ユースホステル), 4-chōme-3-2 Hōrensahoyama (Bus 115, 130, 209, stop: Shiei
Kyujō. At the Rohto Stadium between the baseball and soccer fields).
Tel.: +81742221334. Check-in: 3:00 p.m. Check-out: 10:00 a.m.
Medium
Around the station there are five typical Japanese “business
hotels” in the 3* category.
5 Fine Garden Nara Horai (ホテル
ファインガーデン奈良宝来店, Love Hotel “for adults only”), 4 Chome-34-7 Horai (Horai
motorway exit. Bus 160, 161, Hannahorai stop, 200m). Price: hourly rates
(1-5 hours) depending on the room ¥ 2750-4900, ¥ 1250 for a half hour
quickie; overnight stay ¥ 8600-12000.
Upscale
Sarusawaike
Yoshidaya
Noborioji Hotel
Kasuga Hotel, most rooms in Japanese
style with tatami floors
Nara Hotel, built in 1909, the “first house
on the square”
Nara Police Station (奈良警察署), 57-12 Omorichō. Open: 24 hours.
Nara-Saki Police Station (奈良警察署佐紀駐在所), 713 Sakicho (in the area of the
Heijō Palace). Open: 24 hours.
Onishiyu (大西湯, public bathhouse), 18 Nakasujichō (Kintetsu Station
exit 5, 100m north, first cross street on the right just under 80m).
Open: Tues., Thurs., Sat., Sun. 3 p.m.-9 p.m.
Nara-Kasuga Hospital
(奈良春日病院), 1212-1 Rokuyaonchō (Bus 122, 123, 124, Narakasuaga-byōin
stop). Tel.: +81742244771.l
Nara Central Hospital (奈良セントラル病院), 800
Ishikichō (Bus 28, 29, 38, Nagashiba-bashi stop). Tel.: +81742938520
Telephone code: 0742
Nara Free WiFi: Map of WiFi hotspots
There
is a post office right next to the town hall. The 6 main post office is
on the main street Omiya-dori.
There are luggage lockers in both
stations. Particularly large items can be dropped off at the tourist
information office in the old train station during the day.
The city
administration has compiled information on accessibility for various
zones. Corresponding QR codes link to the websites of the objects.
In Korea, it is believed that the origin of the name Nara comes from the Korean word "nation" which is pronounced in a similar way. However, most philologists maintain that its origin is in the Japanese word "nadaraka" which means "flat place".
Nara was during the Nara Period (710-784) the capital of Japan, under
the name Heijō-kyō (平城京). It was during this time that most of the great
temples for which the city is known were built. While it is true that
after the capital was moved to Kyoto the city was somewhat neglected,
thanks to its temples it has maintained its importance to this day.
This Period, also known as Nara Jidai, was a short transitional
period before the significant Heian Period. Despite its brevity, it
managed to produce arguably the most famous works of Japanese literature
ever written and the construction of some of the most important temples,
which are still in use today, including Tōdai-ji, the largest wooden
building in the world today and which still houses the largest bronze
statue of Buddha made to this day.
The previous capital was
Fujiwarakyo, but Nara had the advantage of being more centrally located,
30 kilometers south of Kyoto. The Nara Period followed from the Kofun
Period (250-538 AD) and the Asuka Period (538-710 AD), which is
sometimes referred to as the Yamato Period. Japan had increased its
diplomatic relations with its powerful neighbors China and Korea, and it
accepted the Buddhist religion and absorbed some cultural advances from
those territories. This process continued into the Nara Period.
Nara was built on the Chinese model of Chang-an, the Tang capital, and
had a well-defined, regular grid layout, two symmetrical halves, and
buildings familiar to those of Chinese architecture. A university
dedicated to the Confucian tradition was established, a royal palace was
built, and the state bureaucracy was expanded to about 7,000 civil
servants. The total population of Nara may have reached 200,000 by the
end of the period.
The central government's control over the
provinces was increased by a greater military presence throughout
Japan's islands. This did not prevent a major rebellion in 740 led by
Fujiwara Hirotsugu and supported by the Hayato minority, based in
southern Kyushu, who resented the Yamato clan's dominance over the
government and its attempts to 'civilise' underdeveloped regions.
Emperor Shomu (724-749 AD) raised an army of 17,000 men, quashed the
rebel army within two months and executed Hirotsugu.
For the
ordinary population, especially in rural areas (90%), poverty or simply
living a little above it, continued to be the norm. Agriculture still
relied on primitive tools, not enough land had been prepared for crops,
and irrigation techniques were insufficient to prevent frequent crop
failures and outbreaks of famine. In 743, a law attempted to encourage
the clearing of land for agriculture by guaranteeing farmers the right
to pass their land on to their descendants, but most preferred the
greater security of working for landed aristocrats.
Making
matters worse for rural communities, there were smallpox epidemics in
735 and 737, which reduced the county population by 25-35%. The lot of
the Japanese peasant was not helped by excessive taxation, largely
designed to fund Emperor Shomu's temple-building projects in the first
half of the 8th century AD. The emperor was an enthusiastic convert to
Buddhism, especially after the various disasters during his reign, and
had the bright idea of building a temple in every province in the hope
that this might improve the fortunes of the country. In contrast to the
peasantry, an increasing number of religious sites and aristocrats were
given immunity from taxation, and the government, spending recklessly on
the temples, struggled to balance its accounts throughout the period.
The court was also beset by internal conflicts due to favors and
positions among the aristocracy, resulting in Emperor Kammu (781-806 CE)
moving the capital to Heiankyo in 794 CE. This was the beginning of the
Heian Period which would last until the 12th century CE.
This
period is known for having three reigning empresses: Genmei (r 707-715
CE), Gensho (r 715-724 CE) and Koken in two episodes: 749-758 CE later
called Shotoku, 764-770 CE. Shotoku had an affair with a Buddhist priest
named Dokyo, and even named him her successor, but the court rejected
this choice and Dokyo went into exile. It would be another 800 years
before a woman sat on the Japanese imperial throne again. Their reigns
are perhaps indicative of a slightly better fate for women in society at
large, compared to contemporary China. In Nara, for example, women were
allowed to own land.
In 1180, much of the city was destroyed in
an attack by the Taira Clan. Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji were then rebuilt,
as was the rest of the city.
It was in this city that Japan's
former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated. He was shot twice
on July 8, 2022, while giving a public speech, dying hours later.
The Nara Period would see a flourishing particularly in the field of
literature. The Kojiki ('Record of Ancient Things') was compiled in 712
by the court scholar Ono Yasumaro, who drew on earlier sources, mostly
genealogies of powerful clans. Then, in 720, came the Nihon Shoki
('Chronicle of Japan' also known as the Nihongi), written by a committee
of court scholars, seeking to correct the bias that many clans believed
the earlier work had given to the Yamato clan. These works describe the
'Age of the Gods' - when the world was created and the gods ruled until
they made the decision to withdraw to let humanity rule itself. They
also gave the imperial line a direct descent from the gods, the original
purpose of their composition.
Other important works include the
Kaifuso poem anthology of 751 and the Manyoshu or 'Collection of 10,000
Leaves', which is another anthology of 4500 poems covering all kinds of
subjects. Finally, a series of local chronicles, or Fudoki, were
commissioned in 713 to record local kami (spirits) and associated
legends in the various provinces.
Anzai Fuyue (1898–1965), writer
Tsuyoshi Dōmoto (* 1979), musician
Ken’ichi Fukui (1918–1998), chemist
Shimpei Fukuoka (*
2000), football player
Yoshida Fumiyuki (1915–2004), artisan and
living national treasure for the cultural asset “Bachiru”
Hiroshi
Futami (* 1992), football player
Ikenishi Gonsui (1650–1722), haikai
poet of the early Edo period
Ryōta Hayasaka (* 1985), football player
Masaya Katō (* 1963), actor
Naomi Kawase (* 1969), film director
Nozomi Maruyama (* 1998), ski jumper
Hisako Mizui (* 1972), badminton
player
Yasuko Mizui (* 1975), badminton player
Ryōta Murata (*
1986), Olympic boxing champion
Yugo Nakamura (* 1970), web designer
Kamitsukasa Shōken (1874–1947), writer
Katsuya Nakano (* 1996),
football player
Sumii Sue (1902–1997), writer
Ikkō Tanaka
(1930–2002), graphic artist
Kosuke Tanaka (* 1999), football player