Nara City Tourism Association

Yamato Bunkakan is an art museum located in a quiet residential area in Gakuenmae, Nara City. It opened in 1960 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Kintetsu.

The museum is surrounded by a naturally rich cultural garden overlooking Hiruta Pond. It boasts a valuable collection of over 2,000 pieces of Japanese and Oriental art, including four national treasures and 31 important cultural properties. During cherry blossom season, 10 weeping cherry trees, descendants of the Miharu Takizakura (Fukushima Prefecture), one of Japan's three most famous cherry trees, are planted, and visitors are delighted by the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Nakano Museum of Art mainly holds exhibitions of modern Japanese artists, thematic exhibitions, and permanent exhibitions in the fields of Western-style painting, Japanese-style painting, prints, and sculpture.

The museum is located close to Kintetsu Gakuenmae Station, on the banks of the lush Kaerumata Pond, in an environment befitting a museum in harmony with nature.

Unlike the bustling Nara Park area, the historic Nishinokyo area has a peaceful atmosphere with private homes and rice paddies. Along the historical ally from Nishinokyo Station to Yakushiji Temple and Toshodaiji Temple, you can enjoy some Japanese soba noodles and other restaurants. The area also has cafes, so enjoying a leisurely lunch is recommended. Two prominent temples in this area (Yakushiji and Toshodaiji) are both Unesco World Heritage sites.

Image: Kintetsu Nishinokyo Station

Yakushiji Temple is a Unesco World Heritage site. It was established in 680 by Emperor Tenmu as a prayer for recovering his empress from illness. When the capital was moved from Fujiwara-kyo to Nara, it was moved to its current location in 718. Two three-story pagodas, the eastern and western pagodas, were built surrounding the main hall and lecture hall. The unique layout is known as the Yakushiji-style temple complex, and the magnificent exterior of those main buildings with its sloped roof and low floors is also known as "Ryugu-zukuri"(Dragn-Palace style).

Unfortunately, repeated fires destroyed most of the buildings, and only the eastern pagoda remains as it was when it was first built. The other buildings have been rebuilt.

Yakushiji is home to nine national treasures and 26 important cultural properties, and it is still a temple with strong religious followers.

After visiting this temple, why don't you visit the nearby Toshodaiji Temple?

(1 minute's walk from Kintetsu Nishinokyo Station)

Toshodaiji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was founded in 759 by the Chinese monk Ganjin, who overcame hardships to come to Japan in response to an invitation from Emperor Shomu in order to spread the correct precepts of Buddhism.

After the capital was moved to Kyoto, the temple fell into decline for a time, but has since been restored several times. The temple complex is beautifully surrounded by greenery, and still conveys the atmosphere of the time of its founding in the Nara period.

Many of the buildings from that time remain, including the Kondo Hall, known for its "Tenpyo roof," the lecture hall, and the treasure hall. The entire temple complex retains its appearance from 1,300 years ago.

(5 minutes' walk from Kintetsu Nishinokyo Station)

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)

You will find a wide variety of restaurants around Sarusawa Pond, where the five-story pagoda of Kofukuji Temple and willows are reflected in the water. In addition to Nara's famous kakinoha sushi and tea porridge, Western cuisine restaurants using local ingredients and dinner at a restaurant in a renovated traditional townhouse are also recommended.

[Image: Sarusawa Pond]

Todaiji Temple and its principal image of the Great Buddha, widely known as Daibutu, represent Nara in all its aspects. Daibutsu is housed in an imposing wooden structure that is the largest in the world.

As the imperial ordinance for the construction in 743, the Great Buddha was cast under full state sponsorship and people's cooperation. The consecrating ceremony was held in 752. It took almost 40 years to complete the whole temple complex, including pagodas, halls, and gradually extended areas. Even after the capital moved to Kyoto, the temple enjoyed its prosperity under the protection of successive emperors. However, the two big wars attacked the temple in 1180 and 1567, severely damaging or burning most of it.

However, with tremendous efforts, the temple was restored each time. Many of the current buildings were reconstructed after that. However, a large number of noted Buddhist statues and buildings from the Nara era remain. Todaiji Temple is a Unesco World Heritage site.

A typical sightseeing course is as follows:

the Nandai-mon Gate

the Daibutsu-den Hall

the Belfry

the Shunjo-do Hall

the Sammai-do Hall (Shigatsu-do)

the Hokke-do Hall (Sangatsu-do)

the Kaisan-do Hall

the Nigatsu-do Hall

the Tegai-mon Gate

the Kaidan-in　

Even if you quickly complete the whole course, it takes 4 hours. If you don't have much time, it's better to focus on the Daibutsu-den Hall first, then the Nigatsu-do Hall (the Hall for the Shunie ceremony in March), where you can see an incredible sunset in the west.

(15 minutes' walk from Kintetsu Nara Station)

Yagyu Village is located in the eastern part of Nara City. It is the home of the Yagyu clan, famous for being samurai who served as swordsmanship instructors for the Edo Shogunate for generations. It takes about 50 minutes by bus from the city center. Yagyu is a peaceful rural area in the mountains where you can feel the great outdoors and the history that has been passed down.

Not far from the Yagyu bus stop, the Yanagi forest is where the name Yagyu comes from. It is said that someone placed a walking stick here, which became a large willow tree, making this a perfect place to start a Yagyu stroll. Let's begin our Yagyu no Sato walk while thinking about the history of this area.

This was the former residence of the famous retainer, Oyamada Shurei, who restored the finances of the house of Yagyu. It stands on a magnificent stone wall and was bestowed upon him by the feudal lord in recognition of Oyamada’s achievements. You can see a high-ranking samurai's residence in the late Edo period.

A small hill near the ruins of Yagyu Junior High School. From here, you can see the whole town of Yagyu. It was named after Marishiten, the patron kami of martial arts, who was once enshrined here. A stone relief depicting Marishiten can be seen where the shrine once stood.

Formerly called Shionomiya Daimyojin and worshiped as the 4th Hagayama Shrine of Kasugataisha Shrine, 3 years (1654) Yashiro Sofufu is a festival of Yasaka Shrine in Ohocho. The shrine was solicited to create a shrine, and it was changed to Yasaka Shrine. The temple in the precinct is the Noh stage of Amano Ishidate Shrine. Formerly called Yonnomiya Daijin where sacred the fourth buiding of Himegami shrine though,In 1654 Yasaka shrine had been changed from SusanooMikoto.

It is a rare stone Buddha carved into a stone wall. Because of its swollen cheeks, it is called Haita Jizo (Toothache Jizo).

Long ago, a village headman named Saito Jinzo was wealthy and intelligent. The lord of Yagyu at the time was afraid of his talent and framed him for a crime he did not commit and executed him. Jinzo died saying, "I will burn Yagyu to ashes within three years." The domain was on guard, but three years later, on the last night, the government office was burned down and reduced to ashes. The lord regretted his actions and is said to have carved a stone Buddha into a natural stone at the site of the government office as a memorial.

This is the former site of Yagyu Domain Government Office and the residence of the Yagyu Clan's leader, and was refitted as a public site of historical ruins in June, 1980.

This is a reclining statue of Amidanyorai along the Yagyu Kaido (Tokai Nature Trail). It is said to be in the Momoyama period style (just before the Edo era).

As the name shows, the stone is carved with six Jizo statues also along the Yagyu Kaido (Tokai Nature Trail) and is said to have been made in 1501, based on the date inscribed on the statues. It serves as a boundary to prevent misfortune from entering the village of Yagyu.

Smallpox Jizo and the monument of virtue.

To the lower right of the Jizo statue is a monument commemorating the forgiveness of four neighboring villages' debts made before 1428. This is the only monument in Japan left by the people and is of great historical value as a debt forgiveness resulting from an uprising.

It does not have a main hall, but four huge stones are worshipped as sacred objects. It is said to have been the training ground for the Yagyu clan's swordsmanship, and was highly revered by the Yagyu clan.

It is a huge rock about 7m square, split in half. Legend says that when the renowned Yagyu Munenoyoshi (Sekishusai) entered here during his training, he encountered a Tengu (long-nosed goblin). Munenori cut the Tengu down with a single sword stroke, but it split the rock in half, not the Tengu, hence named "Itto Seki"(One sword stone).

Because it looks just like the split stone in a very popular Japanese animation, fans flock to the rock to take commemorative photos in front of it.

Masakizaka Kenzen Dojo (sword & zen training hall) is below Houtokuji Temple. Its name comes from the Masakizaka dojo, where the famous one-eyed Yagyu Jubei, a popular icon of Japanese historical dramas, trained about 10,000 samurai disciples at the beginning of the Edo era.

Houtoku-ji Temple is the family temple of the Yagyu clan. Yagyu Munenori built it in 1638. It is located on a mountaintop with a panoramic view of Yagyu village. Materials related to Yagyu are on display in the adjacent historical materials room.

In the cemetery behind Houtoku-ji Temple, over 80 gravestones of the Yagyu clan, lords of the Yagyu domain, have been lined up for generations.

The sight is breathtaking, and one can feel the weight of the history the Yagyu clan has built in this area.

This is the highlight of the Yagyu village walking tour. The vermilion-painted bridge on the way back to the Yagyu bus stop from Houtokuji Temple is the Momiji Bridge. As its name suggests, there are many maple trees in the vicinity, and during the fall foliage season, visitors can enjoy the brilliant reflections on the surface of the river.

Museum that exhibits Buddhist art, national treasures and important cultural properties. The Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall contains close to 100 Buddhist sculptures that are on permanent display. Special exhibitions are held twice a year in the museum's new hall. It is in Nara Park, and you can also enjoy the sight of many deer gathering there.

Tobihino, located on the grounds of Kasugataisha Shrine, is a vast grassy area facing the main sando (approach) to the shrine. Here, you can see herds of deer playing freely. This is also where the Shika Yose (Deer Gathering) event is held, where the musical tones of a natural horn are used to bring the deer together in a specific location.

The Deer Garden is a deer protection facility located within Nara Park and operated by the Nara Deer Protection Foundation. It protects about 300 deer, including sick and injured ones, and aims to create an environment where people and deer can coexist. The brave ceremony of "Deer Antler Cutting" held in October is a traditional event that has been passed down for about 350 years to this day in the coexistence of deer and the people of Nara.

SHIKA SARU KITSUNE BUILDING is a much talked-about facility that opened in 2021 on the site where Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten was founded in Nara and has a history of more than 300 years. Three stores bearing the names of SHIKA(Deer), SARU(Monkey), and KITSUNE(Fox) are housed in the building, and the main store of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten in Nara handles more than 3,000 handicrafts from all over Japan. The facility also offers activities to experience Nara's crafts, such as hand-weaving, which can be reserved through the official website.

The Kohfukuji Temple was one of the seven most prominent temples of the Nara era and a tutelary temple of the Fujiwara clan, the most influential clan in Japanese history. Nara largely owed its prosperity to the temple's development.

In 710, the Fujiwara clan transferred the predecessor of the present Kohfukuji Temple from Asuka to the Nara capital. Then, the temple extended its influence with the Fujiwara family's prosperity even after the capital moved to Kyoto. The war in 1180 burned down most of the temple, however, in later years, Kohfukuji eventually became the practical ruler of Yamato Province (present Nara Pref.)   until the 16th century. They were so influential that they repeatedly appealed to the Imperial Court in Kyoto with soldier monks.

The vast precincts of the temple include the Chukon-do Hall, the Tokon-do Hall, the Hokuen-do Hall, the Nan'en-do Hall, the Five-storied Pagoda, the Three-storied Pagoda, and the Treasure Hall, some of which were constructed in and after the 13th century. As for Buddhist sculptures, many famous articles and masterpieces of the Nara era exist. Of these 136 designated national treasures　(Buddha statues, etc.) in Japan, 18 are housed at Kohfukuji Temple. The most famous statue is the Asura Statue.

The five-story pagoda is currently undergoing long-term repair work and cannot be seen from the outside.

Nara Craft Museum promotes the development of Nara's traditional crafts and arts, which have been passed down and honed over the long course of their history. The museum displays not only the artworks themselves but also the tools and supplies used to make them and is particularly active in promoting knowledge about these respective crafts.

After lunch and a tour of the museum, take a leisurely stroll down the alley characterized by machiya with lattice windows. Cafes and specialty stores are in renovated old houses, where you can enjoy the exteriors, interior furniture, and architectural style. In Naramachi, red ball-like objects are hung from the eaves here and there. These are called “migawarizaru (scapegoat monkey),” which are used to ward off evil spirits, and add a vivid accent to the calm colors of the townscape.

Image: Scenery of Naramachi

Byodoin Temple is said to be the temple that reproduced the Pure Land of Paradise in this world and is registered as a World Heritage site. Above all, it is widely known as the motif of the 10-yen coin, and its elegant appearance is worth seeing. Uji was once a vacation home of Heian aristocrats, and the elegant townscape stretches along the Uji River. There are also cafes where you can taste the famous Uji-cha tea, making it a must-see spot on the way from Nara to Kyoto City.

Image: Tachibana Bridge over the Uji River