Hello, EDUbloggers today I will be talking about another quite famous location in Japan and that is Nara. So let’s get right into it!

Interesting Facts:

• Nara is just a 30-minute train ride from Osaka and Kyoto. If you are visiting Osaka, traveling to Nara could be another activity you are able to do. Which you can read my guide about Osaka here if you are interested.
• When Nara was at its peak, 1,200 years ago, it was spread out over a much larger area than it is today. If you were to search up Nara you can see it seems to be smaller than other prefectures such as Tokyo or Osaka.

Nara’s Reputation 

Nara is well known for its tamed deers roaming freely throughout the city,  the multiple temples that are found in Nara stand as a popular tourist site for people and being in Nara allow to you experience the feeling of being in ancient Japan.

Sights To See? 

I for one believe that Nara Park is one of the more popular sites of Nara. Within Nara Park, there are many deers that thrive in that area. It is a public park so you do not need to pay money to see them. People also sell deer crackers there so you may feed them as you please. Toda-ji. Todai-ji is a Buddist complex that is apart of the powerful Seven Great Temples. To briefly explain the Seven Great Temples are basically seven huge beautifully built Buddist temples spread throughout Nara. Why I recommend this specific temple is because within Todai-ji houses the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana. Overall the Japanese/ Buddist architecture provides a very beautiful sightseeing area. Ikoma Sanjo Amusement Park is an amusement park home to Nara. It is a very entertaining area that suits any age well. The admission for entering the amusement park is completely free, but if you plan on riding the attractions there is a fee for that. Some of the attractions include water parks, zoos, rollercoasters, and many more ride-type activities. There are many restaurants as well, so you are hungry then there will be something to munch on. People often go there in the summer to cool off, and or stay till night to view the beautiful scenery. If you are looking to take a day to relax and have fun with friends or family I do suggest Ikoma Sanjo Amusement Park for a fun experience.

 

Places To Eat!? 

For starters, there is a tremendously delicious Kakigori (Shaved ice) shop that is called, kakigori ほうせき箱. Their Kakigori is absolutely amazing. It completely obliterates other types of shaved ice. Kakigori as very fine ice that is acquired by shaving completely clear ice. There is a technique in how the kakigori is formed. It is layered with ice then is stacked with the dressing. They do this so every bite you take will have the sweet flavor you choose. That continues until you have reached the capacity then what is left is the beautiful topping they gracefully put on. I strongly recommend going to this shop because as I said before it is absolutely amazing and I can guarantee you that once you have tried it there is no way you’ll go back. There other places such as one called, “LBK Craft.” It is a relax cozy place where you can enjoy meals of your choice.

 

Places To Shop 

Higashimuki Shotengai Shopping Arcade is a roofed shopping arcade. In this lively arcade, you can find all kinds of arts and craft shops, stores selling clothes and accessories both modern and traditional, and souvenir shops selling tea, rice crackers, stuffed deer toys, and traditional confectionery. It is a huge arcade with a wide of things to buy, it is a fun place to explore. Virrea Nara is a great location to pick up last-minute souvenirs before you get on your train. The ground floor also has a good mix of restaurants and cafes which range from fast food diners and noodle bars to an izakaya style casual restaurant and a French bistro.

 

This concludes my basic guide to Nara, I do hope you learned a thing or two!

-hmsbrady