Discover the neighborhoods of Nara, Japan

Nara may not be Japan’s biggest city, but historically it is one of the most important regions in the entire country. Whether you want shopping, dining, history, or nature, there is a Nara neighborhood to suit your travel needs.

Downtown Nara

The 1 km stretch between JR Nara station and Kintetsu-Nara station is considered the downtown area of Nara. While not full of historical sites to see, this is the best place for dining and shopping options. Sanjo-dori starts near JR Nara and is the quickest path for getting to Nara Park. Lined with traditional shops, popular restaurants, and bars, downtown is a great place to base your travels if you prefer to stay in livelier areas. This would also be a great base to explore the rest of Nara prefecture due to the proximity of the train and bus stations.

Nara Park

It would be any history lovers’ dream to stay in the Nara Park area. One of the oldest parks in Japan, it also contains Nara’s most popular areas. With places like Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara Park is one of the most historically significant spots in the country. It’s impossible to understand Japanese history without understanding its roots in ancient Nara. While not far from the station, this area doesn’t have a lot to offer after nightfall, so it’s best to stay close and soak in the perspective that only a thousand years of history can provide.

Naramachi

Naramachi is an older merchant area of Nara that has managed to retain most of its traditional charm. Older homes line the road as well as a public bathing house, trendy shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels. This is a wonderful way to spend a quiet few hours absorbing Japanese culture while seeing how people here used to live. Culture lovers will enjoy walking through these streets to see the older-style architecture and the attention to detail the restaurants and shops observe to preserve this area. Naramachi would also be perfect for anyone wanting a quiet getaway while still having access to restaurants and bars.

Nishinokyo

Nishinokyo is considered to be the area west of JR Nara station and is mostly ignored by tourists heading to the more popular Nara Park. Home of two different world heritage sites, Yakushi-ji Temple and Toshodai-ji Temple, this place is great for finding that opportunity to explore something off the beaten path. As the site of the former Imperial Palace, Nishinokyo has history stretching back over 1,300 years and is the start of Nara’s time as Japan’s first capital city. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Nishinokyo is where Japan as a country began.

Totsukawa

While not part of Nara city, Totsukawa is one of the most beautiful parts of Nara prefecture and an area any nature lover needs to see. Hike one of the many trails scattered throughout the village, like the famous Kumano Kodo, or cross the Tanize Suspension Bridge, one of the longest in Japan, to get your heart pounding. In the summertime, Totsukawa is considered one of the best areas for firefly spotting in Japan. After all that outdoor activity, it would be crime to pass up on one of the areas’ hot springs. The Hotel Subaru is well-known for their restorative outdoors baths and offer late night hours to star gaze while soaking in the warm mineral rich waters.

See more: Commune with nature in Hakone, Japan

Source: Internet

The best 5 weekend getaways in Japan

Even if you only have a couple of days to spend, it’s definitely worth getting out of the city to explore other unique and beautiful parts of the country too. Here are some of our favorite weekend getaways from for your next trip to Japan.

Nara

Best known for its resident deer population and beautiful temples, you can reach Nara from Tokyo by train in about four hours. The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) at Todai-ji Temple is a prime attraction here, as well as the deer roaming around Nara Park. It’s also nice to take a stroll through the Isui-en Garden to see the lovely flowers and pond, and the Kasuga-Taisha Shrine is worth a visit as well to see the forest, lanterns, and pathways. Stop by the Nara National Museum to learn about local history because the exhibits are bilingual in both Japanese and English. The Mt. Wakakusa area is great for longer hikes as well.

Read more: The land of cultural heritage, visit Nara in Japan

Kyoto

Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto, was also the country’s official capital for over 1,000 years. The city is home to a number of important cultural sites, including over 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Kyoto is the place to go to experience geisha (or geiko, as they are known in Kansai) culture; the annual geisha dances held each spring are one of the city’s highlights. Kyoto is also known for its kaiseki (elevated Japanese cuisine), ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), and historic architecture.

Kanazawa

With beautiful temples, ancient shrines and a range of fantastic museums, this charming city lying on the Sea of Japan is not to be missed on your list. Wonderfully preserved, its ancient neighborhoods are lovely to wander around, with the old geisha and samurai districts being particularly delightful. In fact, Kanazawa rivals Kyoto in the number of historical and cultural attractions that it has on the show. Although seldom visited by westerners, Japanese tourists flock to this city. The highlight is undoubtedly Kenroku-en, an impressive castle with idyllic gardens surrounding it.

Hiroshima

Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park draws in crowds from all over the globe. The site commemorates the victims of the 1945 bombings, when it became the first city to be attacked with atomic weapons. Today, Hiroshima is a lively, vibrant city, home to a number of historical sites, gardens, and parks. It is a great city for live sports and home to several national teams, including the Sanfrecce Hiroshima (soccer) and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (baseball). The main stadiums are the Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Big Arch.

Fukuoka

The largest city in Kyushu, Fukuoka used to be two towns before the different areas joined to form the city we know today. A friendly and welcoming place, what Fukuoka lacks in terms of actual sights, it more than makes up for in its charm and pleasant atmosphere. With a couple of great museums, some great architecture, delicious ramen, and the chance to see their famous baseball team in action, Fukuoka is well worth a visit for all that it has to offer. Lying on the banks of the river running through it, there are some lovely temples dotted around the city and its surroundings. Many people use Fukuoka as a base from which to explore the rest of Kyushu.

Source Internet

Regional dishes you need to try in Japan

Japan has a wonderful unique cuisine. Different regions have their own traditions of agriculture, produce and recipes. So in addition to the traditional Japanese dishes found throughout the country, many regions and cities in Japan have their own specialties.

Yubari Melon (Hokkaido)

Known also as “Yubari King”. Yubari melons are grown only in a small town called Yubari city. The sweetest melon you can ever taste. Some Japanese people present Yubari King melons as gifts during the holiday called chugen. It becomes the must-have dessert in Hokkaido.

Takoyaki (Osaka)

Takoyaki is the main street food associated with Osaka. This tasty treat is a fried round mixture of batter, octopus, ginger, and usually some vegetables and spices. The best place to sample takoyaki is at one of the food stalls along the Dotonbori, but this dish can be found all over the city. Many locals even have special takoyaki-making grills at home.

Goya Champuru (Okinawa)

Goya (bitter melon) came to Okinawa from Southeast Asia and quickly became one of the region's most favored vegetables.Champuru means "stir-fry" in the Okinawan language. This dish is a stir-fry of goya, pork, tofu and eggs. It is prepared by stir-frying various ingredients.

Monja-yaki (Tokyo)

Originally a children’s treat, monjayaki is now established as a specialty of the Tsukishima area of Tokyo (near Ginza). It’s a “cook it yourself” dish with ingredients such as dried squid, sweetcorn and cabbage are cooked on the hotplate. Then a runny batter is poured into a hollow in the middle. It is all scraped around with a small spatula and eaten off the spatula as it is cooked.

Chagayu (Nara)

Chagayu is a traditional breakfast food from Nara that’s made by boiling rice in roasted green tea with salt until it becomes a soupy porridge. The dish was originally enjoyed by monks at Nara’s Todai-ji temple as part of the Omizutori festival, but eventually became a common food enjoyed by locals throughout the region. Chagayu can be eaten hot or cold, and the roasted aroma of the green tea gives this wholesome dish a complex, but highly satisfying flavor.

Yudofu (Kyoto)

Popular with Japanese Buddhist, a yudofu is a simple yet delicious hot pot. Minimal ingredients used in this dish as a typical Yudofu only contains tofu cubes and vegetables in hot water. However, as with many recipes, there are options with various meats and more ingredients. Kombu also is known as edible seaweed can be added for extra flavor. The Yudofu is a winter favorite amongst the Japanese monks and can be as simple or as complex as you fancy.

See more: Japanese healthy dishes for cold weather

Source Internet