Nara City

Nara-shi is the capital of Nara Prefecture. The city is located in the northern part of Nara Prefecture bordering Kyoto Prefecture. Seven important shrines, temples, and world heritage site are within the boarders specifically Todaiji Temple, Saidaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Shrine, Gangoji Temple, Yakushiji Temple, Toshodaiji Temple, and the Heijo Palace, along with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The perfect spot to experience both, Buddhism Temple, Todaiji, and the Shinto shrine, Kasuga Shrine would be Nara park, with both locations surrounding the park. Most visitors come to Nara Park to interact with the wild deer of Nara.

Deer in Nara are considered to be sacred and a messenger of God, thus being loved and protected for thousands of years. The deer that roam in Nara-shi is wild and the population is around 1,500, growing every year. There are special deer crackers that can be bought and fed to the deer, but they tend to get aggressive and bite the corners of your clothing to get their treat. Many visitors, local and foreign, come to Nara-shi in search for the cultural and religious background of Japan. Many believe Nara is the birth place of Japan, and in 2010, Nara celebrated the 1300th anniversary of its founding as the ancient capital of Japan from 710 to 784. There are also many festivals celebrated each year, a couple famous ones would be Setsubun Mantoro every February and August, where all the lamp and lanterns light up in Kasuga Shrine, and the antler cutting festival every October to protect the deer from hurting people, which dates back to the Edo period.

Things To Do in Nara City