Overview
A city we visited on a day trip from Kyoto during our 12-day Japan trip in May 2025.
I initially dismissed it as a tourist-trap location, so I was quite hesitant about whether to go. After visiting, my views changed significantly. The nature is so beautiful. The deer interaction alone is worth the trip. The entire city is overrun with deer, and I think the most impressive building I saw in all of Japan, Todai-ji, is right here. Even without the deer, Todai-ji alone justifies the visit.
Getting There
We used the regional local trains. The same cards you buy for the metro work on these trains too. The journey takes about 1 to 1.5 hours.
What to See
The deer are everywhere and very tame. They're accustomed to being petted, fed, and interacting with humans. Occasionally they give a Japanese bow, which is quite entertaining. The deer near the city entrance are very docile, but as you go deeper into the city, things get a bit chaotic. Inside Nara Park, it's pandemonium. With so many tourists constantly trying to feed them, the deer have gone a bit off the rails. They're constantly trying to eat whatever people are carrying, rummaging through bags, and one or two even bit people. Be careful. Instead of buying crackers, you can pluck leaves from the dry-leaf trees the deer eat from and feed them that way. Both free and more natural. A friend from Kayseri figured out that method.
We went to Nara on a Tuesday. Both a very famous garden/museum (Isuien Garden and Neiraku Museum) and a very well-known mochi shop were closed on Tuesdays. It seems to be a common rest day. Also, the city was packed with students, possibly a school trip day, which made it very crowded. Worth checking alternative days.
I mentioned Todai-ji above, but it deserves its own paragraph. It was the most magnificent structure we saw in Japan. Massive and absolutely perfect. It has a grandeur that photos cannot convey. I'd only felt this before at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Todai-ji gave me that same feeling for the second time. One should make an annual pilgrimage. The great Buddha and warrior statues inside are the crowning glory.
A sweet little city we're planning to visit with an overnight stay on our next Japan trip.