In the southern part of Nara Park, specifically in Naramachi, you can find a unique museum called the “Karakuri Toy Museum.” This museum showcases 200 karakuri, which are moving wooden toys that were popular during the Edo period. Housed in a mansion renovated from the 1890s, the museum provides an interactive experience where visitors can sit in tatami rooms and ...
After exploring the northern part of Nara Park, including Todai-ji and related sites, I crossed the park and headed south. In the southern part of Nara Park, you can find “Ukimido (浮見堂),” a pavilion built on the pond. “Ukimido (浮見堂) in the Southern Part of Nara Park” Ukimido is located in the southern part of Nara Park. It’s a hexagonal ...
In the heart of Nara Park, at Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple), you can discover the world’s largest bronze statue. If you move east from the Daibutsuden, the main hall housing the Great Buddha, toward Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do, you’ll encounter the “Todai-ji Shoro (Bell Tower)” along the way. “Todai-ji Shoro (Bell Tower)” As you exit the main hall of Todai-ji, the ...
Adjacent to the well-known Todai-ji Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do in Nara Park, there is a small shrine that might not attract much attention from visitors, especially those overshadowed by the grandeur of Todai-ji. “Nara Park, Tamukeyama Hachimangu Shrine” Tamukeyama Hachimangu Shrine is quite renowned among the Hachiman shrines nationwide, dedicated to Hachiman, the god of war, and equivalent to Emperor Ojin. ...
In Nara Park, you can explore the world’s largest bronze Great Buddha, located in Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple). While most people tend to appreciate the bronze statue at Todai-ji’s main hall and then move on, if you venture a bit east from Todai-ji, you’ll discover “Nigatsu-do (February Hall)” and “Hokkedo (Sangatsu-do) (Eastern Great Temple Lotus Sutra Hall),” also known as ...
The heart of Nara’s travel experience can be considered “Nara Park.” This park is a sizable area that combines several regions. Thanks to its vastness, the park houses various tourist attractions and cultural heritage sites. What makes Nara Park especially unique and vibrant is the presence of “deer.” Throughout Nara Park, you can encounter numerous deer, creating an atmosphere where ...
After exploring various places within Nara Park, it was time for lunch. There are several restaurants inside Nara Park, and especially if you head south from Todai-ji’s southern gate, you’ll find a cluster of restaurants and general stores. Despite browsing through different places, I couldn’t find the exact menu I was looking for. Even though it was late September, the ...
Located within Nara Park, Todai-ji is a well-known tourist destination, especially celebrated for being a place where you can see the “world’s largest bronze Great Buddha statue.” It attracts a large number of visitors. Just south of the main gate of Todai-ji, you can find a small pond known as “Todai-ji Kagami-ike.” In Japanese, “Kagami” means “mirror,” and “ike” refers ...
In Nara, you can encounter the world’s largest bronze statue at Todai-ji’s Daibutsuden. This colossal statue, measuring 15 meters in height and weighing approximately 450 tons, is enshrined as the world’s largest bronze statue. Todai-ji was established in 752 by Priest Gyoki, a descendant of the Baekje Kingdom, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Buddhism in Japan. The construction, led ...
Yoshikien is a Japanese garden located within Nara Park. In contrast to the adjacent “Isuien Garden,” which requires an entrance fee, Yoshikien is free to enter, making it a more accessible option. During this trip, I had initially planned to explore Isuien Garden as well, but unfortunately, the garden wasn’t open at that time. Instead, I had the opportunity to ...
Starbucks is a cafe easily found in South Korea, and similarly, it’s a cafe you can easily find in Japan. In Nara Park, Starbucks can be found in various locations, and you can also find a Starbucks at the Nara Park Bus Terminal. “Nara Park Bus Terminal Cafe, Starbucks” At the Nara Park Bus Terminal, you can find Starbucks on ...
Perhaps the easiest and most convenient way to visit Nara Park is by using the bus, as there is a “Bus Terminal” located at the heart of Nara Park. Right across from Nara’s famous deer-filled “Noborioji Park” and adjacent to the Nara Prefecture Office, you can find the “Nara Park Bus Terminal.” “Nara Park Bus Terminal” The Nara Park Bus ...