You’re going to Japan! Your mind runs wild as the realization of your dreams draws closer. A herd of wild deer eat crackers from your hand, a giant Buddha statue in its soaring hall towers over you, and your eyes soak up the rice paddies, mountains and unsullied countryside around you. Japan might be well known for the lights of Tokyo, the speed of the bullet train and the taste of its sushi but all of those things got their start in Nara.
Home to the greatest number of World Heritage Sites in the country, Nara is the origin of the Japan the world knows today. The portal to any adventure in Nara is the NARA Visitor Center & Inn. Located on the south side of the Sarusawa Pond, a short walk from both Kintetsu and JR Nara Stations, the Nara Prefecture backed NARA Visitor Center & Inn is the one stop shop for travelers visiting Nara. Free of charge currency exchange and luggage storage services are available every day, as is an ATM providing international cash withdrawals. The free Wi-Fi, 3 computers and 7 iPads in the Travelers Lounge allow you to stay connected and plan your adventures, the daily cultural events, such as tea ceremonies, flower arranging and kanji calligraphy classes, offer you the opportunity to immerse yourself in Japanese culture, and the seasonal bus tours provide you the chance to get off the beaten path. The center’s comprehensive and up to date collection of travel literature and its knowledgeable and multilingual staff are on hand to furnish you with any additional information and resources you need to get the most out of your trip and discover, “Why Nara?”
The friendly deer of Nara Park and the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple are hailed by guidebooks and past visitors to Nara as its greatest wonders but Nara has so much more which visitors and the average guidebooks tend to miss. Finished feeding the deer and receiving the blessings of the Great Buddha? Climb to the top of Wakakusa Mountain (at the east end of Nara Park) where an unobstructed view of the Yamato Valley and one of Japan’s best night views will inspire your awe. Stay another day and get the train to Yamato Koriyama City, Nara’s neighbor to the south, explore the ruins of its Castle and get your Indy Jones on. Go two more stops to the south on the JR Line and the oldest wooden building in the world, at the World Heritage Horyuji Temple, will show you how deep history goes.
Escaping from the urban area and heading south will take you to Japan’s most ancient and unique sites. Graves of King’s (Japan’s equivalent of Egypt’s tombs), the oldest temples, Buddha statues and shrines in the nation, and the ruins of the largest mountaintop castle ever built are scattered across the municipalities of Sakurai, Asuka and Takatori. Head further to the south and you’ll lose track of time in the clear blue rivers, hot spring hamlets and peaks of the Kii Mountains. In April find yourself overawed as the 30,000+ sakura trees of Mt. Yoshino put on the greatest floral display in the world.
“Why Nara?”
What’s your answer?