Nara City Tourism Association

Tsukigase, located in the eastern part of Nara City, is one of Japan's premier destinations for plum blossoms. Approximately 10,000 vibrant red and white plum trees line the Satsuki River valley, referred to as "Tsukigase Plum Grove" (Tsukigase Plum Valley). The Ume Matsuri (Plum Festival) is held annually in February and March. During this period, various events take place at different locations, including the Tsukigase Ume Museum, where food stalls and teahouses serve treats such as plum ice cream and udon with pickled plums. It takes about one hour by car from central Nara to Tsukigase, while taking the bus requires approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 50 minutes from JR/Kintetsu Nara Station.

There's nothing like a hotspring after a day of touring. Soak in the open-air bath while enjoying the natural surroundings. Also on the premises are places to buy local specialties and souvenirs.

Lakeside Village Tsukigase is a facility based on the concept of “enjoying Tsukigase's food. The facility has a direct sales shop, offering locally grown vegetables, fruits, and specialties, making it the perfect spot to obtain foods nurtured by the nature of Tsukigase. There is also a wide lineup of processed products using ume (Japanese apricot), making them perfect for souvenirs. Lake Tsukigase spreads out before you, and the contrast between the lake's surface and the cherry blossoms is spectacular, especially in spring. Also, a 5-minute walk away is “Ryuohnotaki Falls,” where a white dragon is said to have appeared, so it is recommended to park your car in the parking lot and enjoy a short stroll.

[Image: Tsukigase Bridge].

One of the largest roadside stations in western Japan, featuring a vast parking area, restaurants, a convenience store, a direct sales market for local agricultural products, a motorcycle gear shop, and a natural hot spring facility.

The restaurant area offers a wide variety of dining options, including ramen, udon, soba, rice bowls, yakiniku, and various set meals. Additionally, there are direct sales shops and souvenir stores where visitors can enjoy shopping for local agricultural products, fresh foods, processed goods, and specialty items.

The Nara Okuyama Driveway is a toll road of about 12km that connects Mt. Wakakusa, Mt. Kasuga, and Mt. Takamado. From the road, you can enjoy a variety of scenery, such as the view of Nara City, primeval forests, and Uguisu Falls. In particular, the sunset and night view (one of the New Japan's top three night views) seen from the summit of Mt. Wakakusa are spectacular.

Mount Wakakusa is a triple-layered mountain covered in grass. From its 342-meter-high summit, visitors can enjoy a typical view of Nara, which includes Todaiji Temple, Nara Park, Nara City, and Mt. Ikoma. Sunsets and night views,recognized as one of Japan's three most beautiful nightscapes, are also worth experiencing. The summit is accessible by a toll road for cars or on foot.

In recent years, many tourists have been watching the sunset from the base of Mount Wakakusa, which is within walking distance of Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Taishashrine. One of the most famous events is the annual "Yamayaki," during which vast brushwood on the mountainside is burned. The spectacular sight of the fire blazing into the night sky truly deserves the title of a festival of fire.

Kitamachi is one of the most sophisticated areas in Nara City, with cafes, general merchandise stores, and ateliers lining a quiet residential street.After gathering information at the tourist information center, which is a renovated police box from the Meiji period(1868-1912), find your favorite restaurant and enjoy lunch. Many of the stores in this area are privately owned, and you may be able to find unique items that you can only find here.

Image: Kitamachi Nabeya Tourist Information Center

According to the temple legend, Hannyaji teple was founded in 629 by a Goguryeo monk, Ekan, who built a temple on this site. After that, in the era of Emperor Shomu in 735, it is said that temple buildings were built to protect Heijokyo's demon gate (an unlucky quarter).

Today, the temple retains the Romon gate (National Treasure), which has an elegant architectural style from the Kamakura period.

The temple is also famous for its flowers, and the hydrangea in early summer and the cosmos in early summer and autumn are especially worth visiting.

Empress Komyo, a key figure in the spread of Buddhism in Japan, established the Hokkeji Imperial Convent in 745 and designated Hokkeji as the head of a national system of convents. Hokkeji can be roughly translated as the Temple of the Flower of the Law. Empress Komyo encouraged women in the convent to practice flower arrangement, and the Hokkeji Goryu school of ikebana continues today.

The Empress was a deeply devout woman who cared for the less fortunate. She established an infirmary and a residence for orphans and the disabled. In the Karafuro bathhouse, which was rebuilt in 1766 and still stands on the temple grounds today, she washed the dirt off a thousand people afflicted with illness.

The vast field stretching from Kintetsu Saidaiji Station to Shin-Omiya Station is the Heijo Palace Site (World Heritage). Located at the northernmost end of the vast capital of Heijokyo, with a total area of about 120 hectares, it was home to the Imperial Palace and government district. At the time, the government consisted of eight ministries and 100 agencies. The area is said to have been surrounded by earthworks and moats and had 12 gates, three in each direction.

The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has conducted excavation surveys since 1959. Buildings and ruins such as the Daigokuden and Chodoin, where official ceremonies were held, the Toin Garden, where aristocrats held banquets and ceremonies, the Dairi, where the emperor lived, and the main gate, Suzakumon, have been restored. The entire area has been open to the public since 1998. At Heijokyo Izanaikan Museum, you will discover how the capital was built and how people lived there.

(Near the bus stop Heijo-kyuseki on the bus route for Saidaiji Kitaguchi)