Course 06
For many who grew up around Buddhist art objects and other relics, it’s only after they’ve grown up that they can truly appreciate their significance and workmanship that has lasted through the ages. It’s also only as an adult that one can enjoy a pleasant walk with the slight buzz of a drink. A walk through the city streets in a kimono can be lovely, as well.
Nara National Museum
Nara National Museum
Buddhist Art Library
Harushika Sake
Nara-machi Museum
Nara Sake Speciality Shop Nara Izumi Yusai
Appox. 4 km
Approx. 48 min (Not including time spent at locations)
Nara’s National Museum has an impressive display of Buddhist artwork, as well as important cultural properties with deep connections to Nara’s past. In the Nara Hall of Buddhist Statues, view a masterpiece exhibition of the “Treasured Buddhas.” The New Hall also features incredible special collections, like the treasures of Shosho-in (Treasure House at Todai-ji Temple), and other remarkable exhibitions throughout the year.
The Buddhist Art Library was established for the creation and collection of Buddhist art-related research documents, but the building in which it is housed is quite beautifully artistic as well. The library includes documents from the 6th to the 12th century, and it also highly praised for its modern design, which includes a clever mix of east and west with such features as its Islamic-style windows.
Enjoy a cup of sake at Harushika, a representative brand of Nara sake, at their own elegant brewery. Buy an original glass for 500 yen, and sample several different varieties of sake while you visit. Sake is of course available for purchase, as well as various other sake products and souvenirs.
Nara-machi Museum displays various folk art items, painted signs, and old artwork from the houses of Nara-machi, along with explanations of the city’s history. Your eye is sure to be caught by the rows of “migawari-zaru,” red cloth monkey charms that hang along the entrance. You can even buy your own inside!
This shop offers over 120 varieties of sake from 29 breweries from not only Nara City, but Nara Prefecture as well. All varieties are available to sample for a fee.
Make some memories with an easy kimono rental
With shrines and temples, retro architecture, and the streets of Nara-machi, Nara is full of scenery that goes well with kimono and their summer cotton counterparts, yukata! Visitors can have even more fun taking photos.※Image is for illustration purposes.
Shoryaku-ji Temple, the birthplace of sake
Shoryaku-ji Temple is reknowned as one of the most beautiful places to view red autumn foliage in all of Nara Prefecture, or Yamato, as it was known once, long ago. It was beloved by people long ago, too, who referred to the changing colors of the entire mountainscape as the “Land of Brocade.” Since ages long past, this temple’s sake brewing techniques have been extremely advanced, and it is recognized as the “birthplace of sake,” as it was here that the foundational steps for brewing sake were developed. The temple is also currently preparing a yeast starter.
This brewery is located in the same area Shoryaku-ji Temple, which produced such particularly clear sake. Viewing of the brewery interior is available if reservations are made by the previous day of your visit.
