Nara Prefecture has sacred mountain ranges, spiritual sites and early Japanese artifacts
The political and religious heart of ancient Japan is easily accessed from Osaka and Kyoto and has shrines and temples that are among Japan’s oldest. Many of these sites have cultivated flower gardens that enhance their surroundings. Nara Park is home to the famously tame deer wandering freely, and adjacent Todaiji Temple houses the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue. Important pilgrimage routes run through the Mt. Yoshino area, a World Heritage site and stunning cherry blossom spot in the spring.
How to Get There
You can reach Nara easily from either Osaka or Kyoto, the key transit points for a visit to the prefecture. The nearest airports are Itami International Airport and Kansai International Airport, both located in Osaka Prefecture, approximately an hour and 15 minutes by bus and train.
The sights at Nara Park and Naramachi are accessible from both Nara Station and Kintetsu Nara Station. A bus will get you to the sites of Heijo Palace and Horyuji Temple. Kintetsu trains go to the ancient towns along the Yamanobe-no-Michi route and access points for the mountain pilgrimage trails toward the border with Wakayama Prefecture.
Don’t Miss
• Ancient temples, including some of the oldest structures in the world at Horyuji Temple
• Sacred pilgrimage routes and pleasant walks along Japan’s oldest road—the Yamanobe-no-michi
• Feeding some of the 1,000 tame deer of Nara Park
