[Japan 2016] Nara: Nara Park + Higashimuki Shotengai Shopping Street
By Elin Chow - Monday, March 20, 2017
Photo By: Elin Chow
Good morning! We started our fourth day of our 7D6N Japan Trip early in Osaka this morning. Our plan for the day was to visit the ancient capital of Nara located in the Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region.
Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan established in 710, a time before Kyoto and Tokyo even existed. Located between Osaka and Kyoto, Nara is often overlooked by time-pressed travelers. Most tourists tend to bypass Nara and head straight to Kyoto, even though it is a famous day trip sightseeing destination in the Kansai region.
The beautiful city of Nara is famous for its many temples and the thousands of free roaming deer. It is located less than an hour by train from both Osaka and Kyoto, making it a perfect destination for day trippers.
Getting to Nara is fairly easy. Nara is served by two railway companies - Kintetsu Railway and JR West. The cheapest way to get from Osaka-Namba Station to Nara is by the private Kintetsu Railway, which will arrive at Kintetsu Nara Station.
To get to Kintetsu Nara Station, you can take either the Limited Express and Rapid Express trains. By Limited Express, the one way trip takes about 30 minutes and costs 1020 Yen. By Rapid Express, the one way trip takes about 40 minutes, but only costs 560 Yen. Please note that the Kintetsu Railway is not covered by the JR Pass.
For those who have a JR Pass, you might want to take the JR train. The JR Nara Line departs from Tennoji Station and arrives at JR Nara Station. You can get from Osaka-Namba Station to Tennoji Station by the Subway Midosuji Line. The one way trip from Osaka-Namba Station to Tennoji Station costs 240 Yen. From Tennoji Station, transfer to JR Yamatoji Rapid train, which will arrive at JR Nara Station. The one way trip takes about 35 minutes and costs 470 Yen.
The private Kintetsu Railway is best choice for those who do not have a JR Pass. Furthermore, Kintetsu Nara Station is much more convenient because it is located closer to most of the main sightseeing locations in Nara.
A 40 minutes train ride later, we arrived at Kintetsu Nara Station. We visited Lawson, a tiny local convenience store located at the entrance of the train station to grab some quick breakfast.
Tuna Mayo Onigiri
Price: 110 Yen
Salmon Roe Onigiri
Premium Boss Coffee
Price: 122 Yen
I got Tuna Mayo onigiri and my husband got Salmon Roe onigiri and a can of Premium Boss coffee. Both were satisfying delicious and affordable.
Nara Park is a public park located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, just 5 minutes walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and 20 minutes walk from JR Nara Station. Covering an area of 660 hectares, extending 4 kilometers wide and 2 kilometres deep, it is known to be the oldest and largest park in Japan. The vast park is renowned for its free roaming deer and world famous temples and shrines. It is open all year round and entry is free.
At the entrance of the park, you will find a lot of rickshaws (Jinrikisha) for hire. Prices generally range from 2,000 to 3,000 Yen depending on the distance you want to go. The rickshaw drivers can take you anywhere in Nara. It is the best way to move around and explore all the top sightseeing spots in Nara if you do not wish do sightseeing on foot.
When you think of Nara, you will first think of deer. Nara Park is also known as Deer Park since over 1,200 wild Sika deer roam freely around the park. The deer of Nara Park are once considered divine and sacred because they are believed to be messengers of God.
Back in ancient times, killing a deer is punishable by death. But after World War II, the deer were officially stripped of their divine and sacred status. Today, they are protected as national treasures by the Japanese government.
There are warning signs placed all around the park warning visitors about being attacked by the deer. Despite the warning signs saying the deer may bite and kick, they are cute, friendly and generally tame.
It was not long before we get to encounter a deer, just at the entrance of the park. In fact, there were a few of them resting under the shade of trees. Most of the Sika deer are reddish brown with a white tail and less visible white spots.
Excitedly but carefully, we approached one of the deer, hoping to get a closer look of the adorable creature. We squatted down and pat it gently on its back. Surprisingly, the deer sat frozen still, as if waiting to be pet and fed. Most of them have grown so accustomed to the presence of humans that they are completely unafraid of humans.
Today, only a couple of the buildings remain, including a five-storey Pagoda. Standing at 50 metres, the five-storey pagoda is known to be the second tallest pagoda in Japan. First built in 730, it is a now landmark and symbol of Nara.
Thus, it is not necessary for one to rent a bike or get on a bus to explore since most of the attractions are located within close proximity from the two train stations.
One of the top things to do in Nara Park is to feed a deer. All around the park, there are vendors selling deer crackers, or Shika Senbei. Visitors can purchase deer crackers from these vendors to feed the deer in the park. The crackers are tied with paper made from soybean made from a mixture of rice and flour.
We bought a stack of crackers from one of the vendors in the park. For 150 Yen, we got 10 pieces of it.
The deer of Nara Park are usually very gentle and tame and can easily be photographed. They are scattered, walk through every corner of the park with confident, oblivious to the large crowds surrounding them. But once they spotted food in your hand, they will start flocking to you, trying to get your attention.
So I hid the crackers deep inside my coat's pocket, taking out only one at a time. I approached one of the deer in the park, holding a cracker in one hand. The deer politely eat the cracker right out from my hand while I stretched out my other hand to stroke it.
Some can become aggressive and demanding when you start to feed them. The deer of Nara Park are so accustomed to be fed that they are always on the hunt for food, sniffing and nipping tourists' clothes for treats. A few of them even began to thrust its antlers at me while I was feeding them.
My husband was worried that I might get injured while I was feeding them. He wanted me to keep a safe distance from the deer, but I could not resist the urge to get close to these adorable creatures.
The most interesting thing about feeding the deer is if you bow to them, they will bow back to you. We all know that Japanese are one of the most polite people in the world. But surprisingly, even the deer in Nara are polite and well-mannered!
Besides that, the deer are very clean and not smelly, unlike those that you will normally see in a zoo. However, there were deer droppings everywhere in the park, so be careful not to step on them while you walked across the grass fields. The park grounds are also very clean and well-maintained, with deer casually grazing in the fields.
There is a program managed by the Foundation For the Protection of Deer to care and supervise the health aspect of the deer. All the deer are implanted with microchips in order to keep track of its population. Thanks to conservation efforts, the number of deer has remained consistent throughout the years.
Every October, the Deer Antler Cutting Ceremony is held by the Foundation For the Protection of Deer where the antlers of the deer are cut in order to protect Nara's residents and visitors and prevent them from causing damages to property.
Todai-ji Temple
Without realizing, we found ourselves standing right at the entrance of Todaiji Temple. At the entrance, a large crowd of tourists gathered, excited to enter the temple through the 7 metres tall Nandaimon Gate.
A landmark in Nara, Todaiji Temple is listed as one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list. Constructed in 752 by Emperor Shomu, most of the buildings in Todaiji Temple were destroyed by fires and earthquakes throughout the years. Although the temple was reconstructed in 1692, little of the original buildings actually remain.
The Daibutsuden, which is the main hall of Todaiji, is currently the largest wooden structure in the world, even though it is only two third of the original temple's hall size. The Daibutsuden houses a 50-foot (15 metres) bronze Buddha, which is also the largest in the world.
The approach to the temple is lined with food stalls, souvenir shops and restaurants that catered to both locals and foreign tourists.
Fried Chicken
Price: 500 Yen
Feeling hungry after the long walk, we bought some fried chicken from one of the food stalls lining the street.
Kagami-ike Pond
In front of Todaiji Temple, you will find the scenic Kagami-ike Pond, which offers a great view of the temple.
The wooden ship that sits in the pond is part of "To Build a Ship" project by Cai Guo Qiang, a Chinese artist based in New York.
The spectacular fall foliage offers plenty of opportunities for photography. So please remember to bring along your camera if not you might regret.
All around the park, you will find plenty of lovely spots where you can stop, rest and relax.
For anyone planning for a visit, please remember to wear comfortable walking shoes because this walk in the park can last for hours.
While strolling through the park, we took our time to appreciate the beauty of the stunning blend of yellow, red and orange leaves. Autumn is so breathtakingly beautiful!
After 7 hours of walking, we decided to head back to Kintetsu Nara Station. It has been a tiring but extremely fulfilling day, even though we did not get to see the entire park. For anyone traveling within the Kansai region, Nara is certainly worth a visit. You might want to allocate at least half a day of your visit in order to experience the best of Nara.
Higashimuki Shotengai Shopping Street
Located just beside Kintetsu Nara Station, you will find the Higashimuki Shotengai Shopping Street.
Measuring 250 metres long, the covered shopping arcade is lined with shops and restaurants, making it the busiest shopping area in Nara. If you interested to know what I bought in Nara, please read my "Huge Beauty + Snacks Shopping Haul" post.
Curry Rice
I ordered Japanese curry rice, which is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. This is basically just plain steamed Japanese white rice served with thick curry sauce and garnished with some pickled vegetables. The curry is not spicy but a little sweet. It was delicious and comforting. But serving size was a little too small, so it was not actually filling enough.
Kinoko Udon
My husband ordered Kinoko Udon, which is basically just mushrooms and Udon. This is a very simple noodle dish served in a transparent soup based on dashi with a variety of mushrooms. The serving size was also small but delicious.
Nakatanidou Japanese Rice Cake (Mochi)
Price: 130 Yen / piece
Unfortunately, we did not get to witness the mochitsuki performance because we were not able to squeeze our way through the crowds.
Nakatanidou speciality is Yomogi mochi, which sells for 130 Yen per piece. It was slightly expensive but incredibly delicious. Yomogi is a Japanese wild plant, which gives the mochi its pale green color. Each piece of Yomogi mochi is palm sized and dusted with Kinako (roasted soy bean flour) before serving.
The texture of the mochi is delicate, soft and chewy. It is not sweet and inside the mochi, it is filled with a generous amount of anko sweet red bean paste. The sweetness of the paste complements the mochi really well.
Price: 756 Yen
After lunch, we decided to head back to Osaka. While we were making our way back to Kintetsu Nara Station, we bought some strawberries from one of the stores along the street.
If you are interested to know more about our trip, you may want to check out our 7D6N Osaka - Kyoto - Nara - Kobe Trip Itinerary + Overview for the list of attractions that we had visited during our 7 days in Japan. For anyone planning your first trip to Japan but have no idea where to start, you should read my "How To Plan A Trip To Japan" post.
