Todaiji (東大寺), which literally means “eastern great temple”, was first constructed in 752 and is a waif of what it used to be. It has some crazy history behind it.  At one point it so powerful that it single-handedly moved the capital of Japan away from Nara. 

Check this one off your UNESCO World Heritage Site list while you’re visiting the deer in Nara.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Japan’s Largest Temple Gate

This whole post is going to be about a lot of “largest” or as I like to say, a competition of status (there’s a lot of that in Japan).  Walking through Nara Park from the station, you’ll enter the Todaiji complex through its “Great South Gate” which is the largest temple entrance in Japan.

There are 18 supports that hold the roof a staggering 25.46 meters in the air. Make sure you check out the guardians on your way through. They are referred to as 仁王 (ni-ou, two kings) and are the guardian gods of Buddhism who stand at the entrance of a Buddhist temple. These ones happen to date back to 1203 AD though!

大仏殿 Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall)

While there are many websites including Todai-ji, claiming that the main hall Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), is the world’s largest wooden building, Guinness doesn’t back that up. The 1692 reconstruction isn’t to be missed though! (Like many things in a country where wood construction prevailed, it’s been rebuilt.)  Only two-thirds the original size (eek!) it’s a sight to be seen even if not it’s full original glory. Daibutsuden or the Big Buddha Hall at Todaiji height and depth remain the same but it originally was much wider.

That’s one big Buddha…

Speaking of skewed records, Nara’s own website claims that the Buddha housed inside is Japan’s largest Buddha statue. At just under 15 meters high, it’s big but a more proper designation would be Japan’s largest Vairocana Buddha.

In Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhism, Vairocana is also seen as the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of Śūnyatā. Sunyata means “emptiness” in Sanscrit.

What’s my beef with people calling it the largest? For one, Takaoka Daibutsu (高岡大仏) in Toyama Prefecture is 15.85 meters. Ibaraki Prefecture would also like to take that claim with Ushiku Daibutsu (牛久大仏). At a whopping 120 meters, I’d say it takes the cake.

Original Plans of Todaiji

The original complex also contained two giant pagodas, which would have been some of the tallest, if not THE tallest structures of the time. They burned along with the rest of the complex and were never rebuilt but you can see a model inside the great hall that includes them. 

Gaining Enlightenment from Buddha’s nostril

At the base of one of the wooden pillars, there is a square cut out referred to as the Buddha’s nostril.  At first, I didn’t think anything of it, “oh, wonder why there’s an opening in that one”.  Until the tourists in front of me got down on all fours and started crawling through it! 

This opening is called the Buddha’s nostril due to its size comparison with the bronze statue.  For whatever reason, it is said that if you can pass through, that you will gain enlightenment in the next life.  Enlightenment just handed to you? OK, I’ll jump, or crawl as it may be.

Todaiji vs. Todaiji Temple

By the way, the “ji” in Todaiji is the word for “temple” so no need to call it “Todaiji Temple”. You’d just be doubling your words.

Access to Todaiji

Entrance to the Great Buddha Hall is available every day of the year, just be sure to check the times as they shift slightly due to the seasons.  The cost is 500円 for adults and 300 円 for children.

Definitely add Todaiji Temple to your list of things to do in Japan.

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You’ve probably heard about feeding deer in Nara Park while researching things to do in Japan. I’m sorry, Nara.  The deer in Nara might outshine the UNESCO World Heritage sites. There are Sika deer on Assateague Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where I spent many a summer growing up.  However, I’ve only ever seen them in the distance until coming to Nara. Feeding deer in Nara Park is definitely an experience to be had. 

Side note: Sika is the English spelling of the word for deer in Japanese (鹿), so if you say sika deer, it’s actually saying “deer deer”.  Shika or Sika (depending on how you romanize the word) are native to Japan and are sometimes be referred to as “Japanese deer”.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

How to find Nara Park (奈良公園)

A quick 5-minute walk from Kintetsu-Nara Station will get you to the edge of Nara Park.  How do you know you’ve reached it? The deer!

Nara Park has been designated a 名勝 (めいしょう) or scenic park since 1922. One of the oldest parks in Japan, Nara Park opened in 1880. Make sure you bring your walking shoes (I love my Tevas), as, at over 500 hectares, you’ll be doing a lot of walking.

Speaking of, do you like to track your steps while you are traveling? My favorite fitness watch is the Garmin Fenix 5S. It can hook to my smartphone, has built-in GPS for running, and the battery lasts nearly a week.

Nara Park is huge and you can spend a lot of time walking around and seeing the different herds, plus it leads you to all of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Todaiji Great Buddha.

Like festivals? With so many shrines and temples (and the deer) co-located in Nara Park, there’s nearly always a festival going on.

Why are there deer in Nara anyway?

The capital of Japan was moved to Nara in the 700s and thus started the Nara Era. The ruling family (Fujiwara) built the Kasuga Taisha (春日大社, Kasuga Grand Shrine) as their tutelary shrine (a Shinto shrine meant to protect the area).

There is a story that the first of the shrine’s four deities came riding over on a white deer in 768. So for over 1000 years, the deer in Nara have been considered sacred.

So much so that it apparently used to be an offense punishable by death if you killed one of them!  While that hasn’t happened in many years, you can still get thrown in jail over it.

Nowadays the deer of Nara (奈良のしか) are designated as 天然記念物 (てんねんきねんぶつ) or natural monuments by the Agency of Cultural Affairs.

How many deer are in Nara Park?

As of 2019, there are 1,388 deer in Nara. The send a small army of people out to survey them every year which sounds fun but also, I’d be worried I’d accidentally double count some!

Every year some of the deer die in car accidents so if you choose to drive, watch out for the deer! They are tiny, the males only get up to about 85 cm at their shoulder (or about 3 feet converting to English units).

And while they sometimes get hit by cars, they also seem to understand the concept of a crosswalk and pedestrian signals! Oddest thing to see a deer in Nara queuing to cross the street with everyone else.

What do you feed the deer in Nara?

The sika diet mainly consists of a grass called ノシバ (noshiba) which can be found all over Nara Park and other small plants. However, they love 鹿せんべい (shika senbei) or deer crackers!

This snack is made out of rice bran without any sugar or spices added to it so it’s edible for the deer in Nara, but they shouldn’t be having tons of it I’m sure. That doesn’t stop some of them from hanging out by where they are sold!

There are small carts scattered throughout Nara Park where you can find crackers for sale.  Last time I was there it cost 150円 (or about $1.50 USD) for a stack of them. I can’t imagine the price changes often.

Part of the proceeds for buying deer crackers goes to conservation efforts.

Where to find the deer in Nara

While the stands aren’t everywhere (remember this is a big park!), the deer most certainly are and you’ll find them in fields, in the woods, blocking your walking path to Todaiji Big Buddha…

You get my point. But because the senbei stands aren’t everywhere, I suggest you stock up in case you run into some deer and you aren’t near one of the stands.

Tips for feeding deer in Nara

Every year many tourists get hurt so the cracker stands started to include directions on how to properly feed the deer in Nara. The signs are in Chinese, English, and Japanese but here’s what to expect.

1. Make sure you watch any small children. I feel like this is self-explanatory. The deer are a small breed but they are still powerful. They nearly knocked me down on several occasions!
2. Don’t taunt the deer while feeding them. I.e. don’t try and give them a treat and then take it away (More on how to “properly” do that in a minute). They’ll just get mad and you’ll add to the statistics of people being hurt by them.
3. The deer are sneaky, watch out for others nearby. They may come to surprise you if they see you feeding their friends.
4. Watch your belongings, one of the deer definitely tried to run off with my camera bag! This is especially true if you took the above advice and have some crackers in your bag!
5. Only feed them the senbei (crackers). People-food (or plastic, heaven forbid) can be deadly to these little guys.
6. When you are out of crackers, raise your hands so the deer can see you don’t have anymore. Else you might get nipped!

Speaking of nipping, Japan is very strict about bringing animals into their country and as such is rabies-free. There also haven’t been any other infectious diseases transmitted so If you are bitten, you don’t need to worry so much.

Bowing deer in Nara

If you thought the deer’s ability to properly cross the road was odd, how they go about getting treats might surprise you even more.

They bow.

As if that wasn’t the most Japanese thing of them to do.

The trick is If you put the crackers over their heads, they’ll do a little bow, and you hand them the treat for them to eat. It’s adorably cute and fun.

[Disclaimer: I don’t normally condone feeding wild animals, this is definitely a special case and a way to keep the herds from causing a nuisance! Japan does similar things with large populations of monkeys.]

Warning: Wild animals Ahead

You’ll see signs around Nara Park to remind you that the deer in Nara are in fact wild animals. They are kind of adorable with the little cartoons biting, kicking, butting, and knocking people over on them.

Please don’t antagonize the poor things, they aren’t meant to be chased or hit or ridden (I’m sure someone has tried to do that with a child). As they are designated natural monuments, you can be punished for violating the Cultural Property Protection Law if you do!

I suggest feeding deer in Nara in areas where there aren’t herds of them.  I made that rookie mistake because I was super excited and didn’t want to wait.  End result? Slight mobbing by the deer and a few nips.  Yes, they bite.  No damage was done but something to watch out for. 

You’ll want to watch what time of year you are there as well. The females are very protective of their fawns in Spring time and the males can get aggressive when they are trying to find a mate in the fall.

Deer events in Nara

If feeding deer in Nara wasn’t enough fun for you, there are three different events throughout the year to keep you entertained as well!

鹿寄せ Shikayose, Deer Calling

Scattered throughout the year, you have opportunities to see an event called 鹿寄せ(shikayose) or deer calling. It’s been going on since 1892 in which someone on a french horn calls out to the deer and they come scurrying in from all over to get some acorns.

Why? If someone knows, they aren’t talking!

If you can’t make one of the set days you also have the opportunity to reserve your own private screening up to a year in advance, for a cool 21,000 yen (about $210 USD). The money goes to the conservation efforts.

See baby deer at Rokuen!

Rokuen (鹿苑) is a small sheltered area that they move the mother deer to with their fawns to keep them safe after they are born.

In June, you can go see them for yourself! At the event you can get special deer treats to feed them as well as acorns.

鹿の角切り Deer Antler Cutting Ceremony

The 鹿の角切り or Deer Antler Cutting Ceremony is held every year normally around the 2nd or 3rd week of October. It originally started in 1672, and with a brief hiatus in Meiji Era has been going on every since.

You know how I said the male deer get a little aggressive when they are getting frisky? People apparently were getting injured so to help out, this event ceremoniously cuts their antlers.

Don’t worry, that doesn’t hurt them. Antlers are kind of like finger nails, no nerves or blood vessels.

The event if you happen to be there costs 1,000 yen for adults or 500 yen for children. Unless you are in the Nara Deer Protection Society and get in for free.

Join the Nara Deer Protection Society

The Nara Deer Protection Society (奈良の鹿愛護会) is supported through membership, so if deer are your thing, here’s a charity for you! Membership comes with a member card, a bi-yearly magazine (in Japanese), free admission into the two yearly deer events, as well as entrance into many of the local attractions in Nara for free – including Todaiji Great Buddha!

While you can sign up at anytime, membership follows the Japanese school year of April to March and will run you about 5000 yen ($50 USD). But, if you want to contribute to the protection of the deer in Nara, plus have your entrances covered, it’s there for you.

Getting to Nara

Taking the train from Kyoto to the Kintetsu-Nara Station will take you about 35 minutes depending on which train you get on. Look out for when the Kintetsu Limited Express runs as it will get you there without a transfer.

While Kintetsu-Nara Station is the closest to the park so you can feed the deer in Nara right away, you will not be able to use your JR Rail Pass for that line and will need to have some money on your IC Card. The ride as of writing this is 640 yen one way.

If you are looking to use your JR Rail Pass, you can head to Nara Station and have a little bit of a walk. However, it’s a much longer train ride. Many people do Nara as a day trip from Kyoto so I suggest Kintetsu-Nara so you get the most out of your trip.

Coming from Tokyo? Shinkansen down to Kyoto Station and follow the above!

Didn’t get enough deer time in? There are also a bunch of deer in Miyajima!

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I hope you have an awesome time with whichever deer event you get to experience.

One final tip – if you follow my advice and stopped by the tourist information center for some local maps, beware! If you are looking at it and deer are by, they may try and grab it! I was glad I accidentally grabbed two!

Nara is not just for the deer! A quick hour train ride from either Kyoto or Osaka, if you love history, you want to spend at least a full day in Nara. A weekend is better! Especially if you are like me and want to tick off all the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The capital city of Nara Prefecture, Nara was the capital of Japan before the emperor moved to Kyoto in the late 8th century by way of Nagaoka for 10 years.

Real Quick History: Why isn’t it still the capital?

The Nara Period lasted less than a 100 years thanks to all of the Buddhist Temples I’m about to tell you about. Nara, or as it was known then Heijō-kyō (平城京), was designated the capital of Japan in 710. Or more so the capital was moved there. You can thank Empress Genmei for that, the 43rd ruler of the Chrysanthemum Throne. Yes, I said empress.

As the temples grew, they quickly started to have way to much political influence for the royal families liking. So they moved! I think one of the more interesting pieces of this cute little town – minus the deer, of course.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program in which I may earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  The price to you is not affected!  

UNESCO Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara and National Treasures

You can’t talk about Nara and not talk about UNESCO world heritage sites! It’s actually collectively as a whole a UNESCO Site and consists of eight location which should be on your must see list while here. These are further designated by the Japanese government to include 26 buildings that are National Treasures and over 50 important Cultural properties!

If you like historical buildings, Nara is your place.

1. 元興寺 (Gangō-ji, Gango Temple)

Fun fact. When the capital was moved to Nara, so was this temple! It was originally called Asaku-dera or Hoku-ji. With the move, came a new name. As they say on their website “the place where the first Buddhist temple was built”. The origin temple. One of the oldest, if not THE oldest Buddhist temple in Japan.

2. 平城宮 (Heijō-kyū, Heijō Palace)

The Heijo Palace was the imperial palace during the Nara Period. It was abandoned when they moved the capital way from Nara. There has been extensive excavation work and you can see the reconstruction of the main gate.

3. 春日大社 (Kasuga-taisha, Kasuga Grand Shine)

Ah, our only Shinto shrine in the mix! There are 3,000 分社 (bunsho, branch shrines) around Japan for Kasuga taisha according to their website. That’s a big deal, it means people really like this kami or god. The branch shrine is an important concept in shintoism coming from Bunrei 分霊 which means “seperate spirit”. The main shrine houses the “original” kami or god. Then there are other smaller shrines that same kami, with the same powers. There’s always a distinction for the main shrine though!

The shrine also has around the same amount of lanterns leading up to it.

4. 春日山原始林 (Kasugayamagenshirin,
Kasugayama Primeval Forest)

Located right at Kasuga-taisha is an ancient forest which has remained untouched since the 9th century! How? Apparently they banned logging and hunting in it. If you didn’t get enough exercise from just walking around Nara Park (more on that in a minute) and all of these sites, you can enjoy a hike up the mountain!

The trail is 11.5 km so make sure you’ve got some water with you. No vending machines this way! (Yes, you can find them on hikes sometimes!) .

I love my camelbak insert that I can fill as needed on my day pack!

5. 興福寺 (Kōfuku-ji, Kofuku Temple)

Elegantly in English “the temple that generates blessings”, Kofukuji has been in it’s present location since the 700s. It is one of the two head temples of the Hosso Sect of Buddhism. Four of it’s buildings have been designated National Treasures and two are Important Cultural Properties. My favorite is probably the five story pagoda.

6. 東大寺 (Tōdai-ji, Eastern Great Temple)

Todai-ji (東大寺) was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan. This building is literally why Nara is no longer the capital. The temple had way too much influence on government affairs!

While there are many websites claiming that Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall) is the world’s largest wooden building, Guiness doesn’t back that up. Regardless, the present 1692 reconstruction at two thirds of the original temple hall’s size is impressive.

Make sure to check out one of Japan’s largest bronze statues of Buddha (大仏, Daibutsu).

7. 唐招提寺 (Tōshōdai-ji, Toshodai Temple)

You will need to take a bus to get to this one, it’s not as central as most or you can walk from the last one I’ll tell you about. While it doesn’t have as many subsidiary temples anymore (that always seems like a franchise to me), they somehow still own 17 National Treasures and more than 200 Important Cultural Properties!!!

8. 薬師寺 (Yakushi-ji, Yakushi Temple)

I left the far ones for last, this is easiest to get to by train. Nishinokyo Station is about 20 minutes from Kintetsu Nara Station and then it’s a quick walk. It’s another that moved when the capital moved. Did you know they did the same thing with castles sometimes? It just amazes me the engineering feat it must have been to pull something off like that!

9. Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) and the deer!

Nara Park holds the claim to being one of the oldest parks in Japan. It also has been designated as one of the “Places of Scenic Beauty” by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT or more cutely Monka-sho, 文部科学省, Monbu-kagaku-shō).

Get our your walking shoes as the park is well over 1,000 acres. The best part? Hanging out with the 1,400 or so wild sika (シカ or 鹿 shika, deer) ! They are considered sacred and it use to be punishable by death if you killed one. Now, they are designated as national treasures and you can feed them special deer crackers (鹿煎餅 Shika-senbei).

10. Witness the deer calling

Shikayose (鹿寄せ) happens in the winter and summer. 寄せ (yose) can mean “to gather” but it can also mean “last move” in a game of go or chess. So the event is a “deer gathering” but if you consider the alternative meaning, it’s funny to think of it like some crazy video game where the deer come out from the woodwork.

How do they get gathered? A french horn playing Beethoven’s 6th Symphony of all things! It takes place in the morning near the Nara National Museum. Remember, I absolutely adore Japan’s tourism information, and you can check out dates and times there.

11. Nara in Autumn?

If you aren’t around for the deer calling, you may be for another special deer event! In Autumn since the Edo period, the antlers are ritualistically cut to keep the deer safe from each other. (And probably doesn’t hurt the people factor). It’s rather morbidly called 鹿の 角切り (shika kakugiri) or deer dicing.

12. Try some local beer

Have we met? I always try the local beer when I’m out exploring! Naramachi Brewery is located to the west side of the park but you can also find it places throughout the city, like Sakura Burger.

How to get to Nara

From Tokyo, you can either fly or take the shinkansen.  I prefer the train as you’ll want to do some jumping around the surrounding area as well.  It’s easiest to combine with a trip to Osaka or Kyoto, if you are doing the “main circuit” as I like to call it.

Where to stay?

While you could stay in Kyoto, I’d suggest saying local so you really get your deer loving in and send a few days in Nara. With all of the world heritage sites, there’s definitely enough to keep you busy!

If you go for the centralized plan of one of the bigger cities, personally, I’m a huge fan of APA hotels (pronounced how it’s spelt, not as an acronym). They are fairly inexpensive (yes, that means small rooms), normally situated near the train station, and a lot of times has a public bath.

Slowing Down Time

The best part about a trip like this? And perhaps even my favorite part about travel, regardless of the place, is the more you fit in, the longer it appears to your brain you’ve been gone (More on that in Moonwalking with Einstein, it’s definitely true). Hitting Nara for a weekend trip could feel like weeks!

Utilize the Tourism Center

Nara City has one of the best tourism websites in English I’ve seen. They even have a 50 page “brochure”, that may as well be a book that you can download for free. If you need some further tips, check out this guide on how to research a trip to Japan.

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Visiting Nara and need a suggestion for where to eat?  A stone’s throw from Kintetsu Nara Station in 東向北商店街 (Higashimukita shopping district), Sakura Burger is a great place either pre- or post- deer feeding (just wash your hands, you animal!) or Temple viewing (be honest, you went for the deer).

Beware though, we happened to stumble upon it right as they opened (11 am for lunch), the queue starts early!  By the time we left, it was wrapped around with at least 20 people. 

Burgers aren’t the most adventurous option when there are so many Japanese foods to try, but Sakura Burger is popular for a reason!

Sakura Burger Menu

The menu starts with the Sakura Burger choices which means they have their own smoked bacon on them with several different customization options. Avocado, sauteed onion, egg, and different sauces.

There are a few other options as well, avocado burgers tend to be a favorite of mine (anything with avocado in actuality, especially guacamole).  If you are pescetarian or vegetarian, there are fish and veggie burgers as well.

Hot dogs with a myriad of topping options and the hot sandwich options round out the holdable options.

To get a tasting of their other business (Asuka Smoke Works) where they do their smoking, you can try the sausage plates, curry worst and bacon steak. Or if you just want to have a sampling, there is a sample plater too!

The Name Sake: Sakura Burger

When you have a namesake menu item, I’m going to try it.  The Sakura Burger is a homemade patty with smoked thick-cut bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pickle.  As aforementioned I love avocado statements, I had to have some added to mine! And if you haven’t had egg added to your burger (a trait of “Navy Burgers” in Japan), try it!

Seasoned with salt, pepper, and their homemade tartar sauce, it’s delectable. When served, the waitress pointed out to ‘please try our homemade ketchup along with your burger’. 

It’s on the table so you can decide how much you want.  Trust me, you won’t want to go back to HFCS Ketchup every again. It’s good.

Asuka Smoke Works

Sakura Burgers manages the Asuka Smoke Works as well. This is where the yummy bacon, sausage, hot dogs, (and they smoke chicken!) comes from. But also, if you have ever wondered how to make sausage, they have a workshop on it!

Yes, there is a special way to eat burgers

Did you notice the paper wrapping around my burger? If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen those before. Leave that burger in there! It helps keep all the goodness together and makes it much easier to eat.

Especially when you get a monstrosity of a sandwich like I did! It also helps to make sure that the sauce doesn’t go all over the front of you (I’ve mentioned before how I’m a klutz).

Drink Local

I like trying the local beer wherever I go. It’s actually how I ended up finding Sakura Burger and they didn’t disappoint in that area.  They have several local breweries beer available. After walking through the park for hours, having a Nara Local Craft Beer was very refreshing.

The Atmosphere

The place has a good vibe to it, it’s pretty small but cozy.  One of the tables even consists of a couch in the back of the restaurant.  The staff is very friendly and helpful.

I’m a fan of their logo.  A cowboy on a deer. They do close down for an hour in the afternoon between lunch and dinner so make sure you don’t hit them at the wrong time.  Also, don’t let the crowd scare you, it’s worth the wait!

Have you been to Nara? What are your food recommendations?

Memorial Day. Three days. Disasters at work but one of my coworkers graciously filled in so that I could do my speed run as planned. The mission? Kansai and Western Honshu: Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Miyajima and Hiroshima.

What’s Honshu (本州)? And where are Kansai and Western Honshu?

Honshu is the largest island in Japan and considered the main island.  Hence the name, we’re very literal here. Hon (本) can mean “main” and shuu (州、しゅう which is Romanized as ‘shu’) means “province”.  The western side of the island is referred to as dun, dun, dun, “western Honshu”.  The area around Kyoto is called Kansai 関西 which is literally “west of the tollgate” and is rooted in history. Kansai is considered the cultural capital of Japan.

Timeline for a trip

Most people take a week down there, but it’s been 4.5 years of living here and I haven’t made it yet. Hence, last month, I decided it had to happen, even if it were only a grazing. What started as three cities, turned into five, because who doesn’t stop in Kobe for the world famous wagyu (or Kobe beef as we’d refer to it as)when in the area? (That would be me, the three times I’ve been to Osaka, but I digress…). Miyajima (which it turns out isn’t its real name but what everyone calls it) was also a must. It was very much an action packed three days (3.5 if you count the shinkansen ride down after work on Friday) but it IS doable. You just have to be willing to move (and walking super fast like I do doesn’t hurt).

How to get to Kansai and Western Honshu

From Tokyo, you can either fly or take the shinkansen.  I prefer the train and with as much jumping around we did, its a must.  Time line wise and dollar wise as plane would only get you to Kansai.

Where to stay?

To make it easier, we did two nights in Kyoto and one night in Hiroshima.  All were at APA hotels (pronounced how its spelt, not as an acronym) near the stations.  You can find really good deals on APA hotels and they are nice and clean, though small Japanese rooms.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program in which I may earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  The price to you is not affected!  

Slowing Down Time

The best part about a trip like this? And perhaps even my favorite, regardless of the place, is the more you fit in, the longer it appears to your brain you’ve been gone (More on that in Moonwalking with Einstein, it’s definitely true). In Kristen years, I’ve been gone for at least two weeks, not three days. Check out my itineraries for each day and let me know what other great places I need to hit next time!

Friday: Head to Kyoto

We went straight after work, got to Kyoto about 2030, checked in to the hotel and called it a night because we knew it was going to be a long day but there is tons of food options right in the area.

Saturday: Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Shrine
Nijyou Castle
Imperial Palace
Ginkakuji (Silver Shrine)
Philosophers Walk
Aquaduct
Zenriji (eikan-do)
Beer Tour 😛 — no trip is complete without at least one mini beer tour of the city

Sunday: Nara and Kobe

We hit Higashi Honganji Temple on the way out of Kyoto

Nara

DEERRRRRRRRR
Big Buddha — Todaiji Temple
Nara Park
Sakura Burger–amazing! and they also had local Nara beer

Kobe

Ikuta shrine
Foreign Old House street
Rope Way
Herb Garden
Waterfalls
Kobe Steak

Monday: Hiroshima and Miyajima

Peace Park
Boat ride to Miyajima

Miyajima

DEER
Itsukushima shrine
Daishoin temple
Rope way
Miyajima beer
Meat bun stand

I couldn’t get enough of the deer

Back to Hiroshima

Peace museum
Spicy ramen
Hiroshima castle — one of the 100 finest castles of Japan

(Disclaimer: Literally this trip feels like forever and with the amount of places and food and DEER!, I really want to be able to write everything up but that’s going to take a bit, so bear with me on getting these posts complete. I hope you join me as they develop :))