Asia >> East Asia >> Japan >> Honshu >> Kansai >> Nara

Nara prefecture (奈良県 Nara-ken) is in the western Kansai region of the main Japanese island Honshu.

Culture and History

Nara has a creditable claim to be the home of Japan's Imperial family, and the prefecture houses no less than three ancient capitals: Asuka (538-694), Fujiwara (694-710) and Nara (710-784). The plain around Nara is scattered with grand temples and imperial burial sites known as kofun.

Cities

  • Nara — Japan's capital before Kyoto, with temples and shrines laid out in a vast park
  • Kashihara — the site of Japan's capital city, Fujiwarakyo (藤原京), before Nara.

Other destinations

  • Asuka (飛鳥) — the homeground of Japan's earliest historical capital city, Asukakyo (飛鳥京)
  • Hōryūji (法隆寺) — Ancient temples named as UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ikaruga （斑鳩) Town
  • Imai (今井町) — a preserved district of old merchant houses from Edo period in Kashihara
  • Yoshino (吉野) — the mountain area which comprises a part of another UNESCO World Heritage, and possibly Japan's most famous cherry blossom viewing spots
  • Hase-dera (長谷寺)
  • Yata-dera (矢田寺)
  • Yagyu （柳生)
  • Tsukigase （月ヶ瀬)

Talk

Travel to Nara (prefecture) - Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Nara (prefecture)

By train

Buses to Nara (prefecture)

Tours and Getting around Nara (prefecture)

Nara (prefecture) tourist attractions and sightseeing

Nara (prefecture) city tours

Nara (prefecture) Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Nara (prefecture) nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Get out

Destinations in Nara (prefecture):

This page was last edited by Wikitravel user Episteme. Based on work by Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel user(s) Kohhei and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license

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