Nara Prefecture Travel Guide

A place to experience Japanese art during your Nara sightseeing.

A quiet ancient temple where you can see Japan’s oldest National Treasure statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals.

A spacious Japanese garden with three distinct gardens.

A town that developed uniquely within the compound of a Buddhist temple to maintain a distance from samurai forces

One of Kansai’s best-known mountain destinations, with scenery unique to the Kii Mountain Range.

A vast gorge with beautiful scenery shaped by a clear stream and dramatic cliffs.

An elegant ancient temple surrounded by flowers and cultural treasures.

An ancient temple, the only one in Japan with a surviving east and west pair of three-story pagodas.

A comprehensive forest resort on the middle slopes of Mount Ikoma where you can enjoy outdoor activities and stays.

One of Japan’s 300 Famous Mountains, where you can enjoy hiking while discovering highlights in every season.

A serene sacred site at the foot of Mt. Yoshino, dedicated to Emperor Go-Daigo.

An ancient temple known as Nishiki no Sato, famed for autumn leaves and as the birthplace of Japanese sake.

Savor pale green chagayu made with tencha at a relaxed pace.

A stand serving house-roasted coffee in a repurposed old gas station.

Shabu-shabu featuring Yamato beef and brand pork is the specialty here.

A teahouse where you can enjoy Japanese sweets made with carefully selected ingredients from Yoshino.

Savor deliciously crispy okoge (scorched rice) in flavorful kamameshi made with ancient grains, all in a charming, traditional-style restaurant.

Proudly serving dishes made with local, seasonal, and natural ingredients, carefully selected for their freshness and quality.

A cozy café housed in a 160-year-old traditional townhouse, where you can enjoy Japanese sweets made with authentic Yoshino honkuzu (arrowroot starch).

Three delicious ways to enjoy one dish! Savor locally sourced ingredients in flavorful kamameshi served in a traditional townhouse in the temple town.

A historic restaurant that served as the setting for famous Bunraku and Kabuki plays, renowned for its beautiful garden and specialty ayu (sweetfish) dishes.

Ever-coveted bowls of Tenri ramen with veggie-borne umami in every drop.

The original shop that pioneered Tenri Ramen, known for its spicy broth and generous servings of vegetables.

Enjoy beautifully presented Miwa somen noodles in the birthplace of somen.

An in-station shopping mall at a station served by three lines, convenient for sightseeing in Nara.

Directly managed store of "BAN INOUE", a lifestyle brand from Nara, Japan.

Long-standing Japanese confectionery shop in the famous cherry blossom site on Mt. Yoshino.

Be amazed by lightning-fast mochi pounding, a technique that brings out exceptional flavor!

A souvenir shop by Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, offering Nara souvenirs crafted with a focus on traditional handwork.

Traditional Nara-style warabi mochi made only with rare natural ingredients.

Original Japanese tenugui towels featuring bold, unique designs, dyed using traditional techniques.

A long-established confectionery shop cherished for more than 160 years, offering gently sweet sugar-based treats.

Known for its colorful and versatile cloths, this historic shop has been crafting high-quality kaya (mosquito netting) products for generations.

Immerse yourself in the charm of Japanese sake at a brewery with nearly 140 years of history.

A workshop store full of arresting hand-made accessories and general goods.

A commercial complex produced by a long-established company that will breathe new life into Naramachi.

A ryokan nestled in Yoshinoyama, where you can enjoy a Japanese garden and soothing natural hot springs.

A hotel where you can more deeply enjoy fine food and sake in a historic building.

A renovated traditional house guesthouse run by travel-loving sisters.

A glamping retreat like a “secret base” set in an untouched forest.

A glamping facility where you can enjoy time to unwind in a barrel sauna.

An elegant Japanese-style ryokan where you can fully enjoy the charming ancient capital of Nara.

A long-established inn with 300 years of history tucked away in a hidden part of Nara.

A relaxing base for your Nara trip, where you can enjoy hot springs, yakiniku, and a hearty breakfast.

A Totsukawa retreat soothed by free-flowing hot springs and the gifts of the mountains.

A hidden retreat at the foot of Mt. Shigi, known for its natural hot spring and seasonal Japanese kaiseki dinners.

A long-established ryokan full of traditional Japanese charm in the Dorogawa Onsen hot spring area.

Refresh yourself with herbal baths and delicious food at an inn surrounded by nature.

A traditional summer festival held every year on August 15, lighting up the night in Gojo, Nara.

The free-spirited energy of color, music, and dance fills the ancient capital.

World Heritage Kasuga Taisha hosts a traditional event in Nara that has been carried on for over 900 years!

A unique festival held at Himuro Shrine, where famous shaved ice vendors from across Japan gather to offer shaved ice to the deity of ice in a sacred ritual.

Tanabata Festival held fantastically around the Heijo Palace remains in the summer evening.

A summer event in the historical town Nara where more than 10,000 candles add a mystic ambience to the town.