Visiting Nara: An Iconic Japan Experience

Written By Steph Sadler
 

As we excitedly launch Japan as one of our newest study abroad destinations, we’ve sent our Director of Program Operations, Sarah Reid, on a tour of the country she now calls home. Sarah’s mission: to scope out some of the most exciting places that our custom program groups and semester students studying abroad at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka might enjoy visiting—like Nara!

Nara is a perfect day trip—just an hour away—from larger cities like Osaka and Kyoto.

 
 

The air in Nara was cool and humid after recent rain, lifting a “farm smell” of wet hay from the ground as Sarah explored Nara Kōen (or Nara Park). This large, grassy area is famous for its free-roaming sika deer. Around 1,200 of these majestic creatures are protected here in Nara as they are considered, in Shinto, as quite sacred messengers of the gods. An occasional “squeaky-creaky” sound came from calves fussing for their mom as Sarah fed deer from her hands with shika senbei (deer crackers) available to buy from kiosks around the park. She found it to be a magical experience!

 
 

Nara is an important city in Japan. Not only was it the first documented permanent capital of the country, but it’s one of Japan’s spiritual, historical and cultural hubs, with dozens of museums, a concentration of Shinto and Buddhist shrines, and other treasures to discover. Sarah noted that faculty leading custom programs in Nara would have amazing resources to choose from to suit the academic focus of their course with museums—like the National Treasure Museum and the Nara National Museum—highlighting everything from history to art to religious practices.  

 
 

After enjoying some time with the deer, Sarah headed into the Todai-Ji temple, one of the city’s eight UNESCO Heritage Sites, to marvel at the 49-foot-tall Daibutsu Buddha statue. Inside, she was met by scents of incense, and red Japanese pine (similar to cedar, but with its own unique smell). There was a perpetual sound of moving water, due to the rain and the drainage channels that are very much built into just about every street in Japan, which added a sense of tranquillity to the atmosphere.

 
 

In the east of Nara Park, you’ll find Kasugataisha Shrine where the pathways and buildings are accented with thousands of stone and bronze lanterns. Together with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, this was also designated an UNESCO Heritage Site in the late 1990s.

There’s plenty more to explore in Nara too. Don’t miss a walk through Isuien Gardens, a designated “place of scenic beauty,” and a pause to admire its various tea houses, some of which date back to the 1600s. Yoshikien, just across the Yoshikigawa River, is also worth visiting, featuring a pond garden, a moss garden, and a tea ceremony garden.  

 
 

Nara’s Kohfukuji Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan and, alongside the deer of course, is a symbol of Nara as a city.

We also recommend a walk through the slim alleyways of the 15th-century merchant neighborhood of Naramachi to see traditional long, narrow machiya townhouses that are well preserved, many now transformed into cafes, restaurants, shops, and museums.

If you have time, and especially in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom, meander up 342 meters to the top of Mount Wakakusayama behind Nara Park for stunning views over the city.   

 
 

At certain times of the year, Nara hosts some spectacular festivals like the Wakakusa Yamayaki with its impressive fireworks display over the mountain; Nara Rurie which sees the park transformed with otherworldly illuminations; and the Nara Tokae Lantern Festival, another event that leans into the magic of light with 20,000 lanterns set out.

 
 

What to eat in Nara? You’ll find many restaurants and cafés along the way, but the Nakatanidou Mochi Shop offers a fascinating experience with a “mochi-pounding performance.” Don’t miss an opportunity to taste local favorites like flavorful Narazuke (pickles made from fresh fruits and vegetables leftover lees from the sake-making process), kakinoha sushi (fish and rice wrapped in persimmon leaf), Miwa Somen noodles, and anything made with persimmon.

You can visit Nara at any time of the year, but September-November or March-May are the most pleasant. Spring is particularly beautiful when the cherry blossoms explode in shades of pink.

Nara has a compact and walkable city center, but buses, trains, and taxis are available to take you further afield or to give your feet a rest.  

Learn more about how we can create a custom program for your students in Japan, and our semester and year-long study abroad programs in Fukuoka:

References:

Steph Sadler
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