Few destinations in Japan roll out a flagship attraction like the eponymous capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of the country. Of course, as the home of the formidable Keihanshin metropolitan area, with 19 million people or 15% of the population of Japan, Kansai lines up a ton of wonderful distractions for intrepid tourists. This is the region of cosmopolitan Osaka, venerable Kyoto and lively Kobe after all, not to mention Himeji and Wakayama. Nara, however, a modest city of 370,000 people, is well worth a detour.

The Kansai gem is the proud home of a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site. The “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara” takes visitors back to a time when the city was the capital and most important base of power in Japan. For most of the 8^th century, Nara held that role proudly and as such, blossomed. With prestige, prosperity and wealth came a slew of grand landmarks and monuments, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The core UNESCO World Heritage inscription includes seven points of interest. Some of the most notable include Heijo Palace, Todaiji Temple Complex, Kofukuji Temple Complex and Kasuga Grand Shrine. The Nara National Museum is a peerless repository of ancient relics that documents the history of the city.

Attractions

• Todaiji Temple Complex
• Kofukuji Temple Complex
• Kasuga Grand Shrine
• Heijo Palace
• Nara National Museum

Activities

• Kasuga Matsuri Monkey Festival
• Kasugayama Primeval Forest
• Isuien Garden
• Nara Park
• Mount Wakakusa Fire Festival

Restaurants

• Ayura Café
• Bikkuri Udon Miyoshino
• Mellow Café
• Nonohana Ohka
• Tempura Asuka

Nightlife

• Kuramoto Hoshuku
• The Wembley Crown
• HeadSpace
• Harushika Spring Deer Sake Brewery
• Yougendo Bar

Nara has a humid subtropical climate, with moderate to heavy rainfall from May to October.

• Winter (December to February) 3-12°C
• Spring (March to May) 6-25°C
• Summer (June to September) 21-34°C
• Fall (October to November) 11-22°C