Tag Nara

Hail and well met travelers! Today, we’ll be taking a look at the mysterious Muro-ji. Found in the eastern sections of Nara Prefecture, far away from the ever-adorable deer, this Buddhist temple is a spot that often pops up on…

Every single time that I think I’ve completed a prefecture, Japan turns around and hits me in the face with evidence that I’ll never be able to fully write somewhere off. Just recently, this reminder happened while I was down…

Unfortunately, most overseas visitors to Japan only ever experience Nara as a day-long excursion from Osaka or Kyoto. As soon as these travelers arrive in the city, they make a beeline for attractions like Todai-ji’s Daibutsu and the venerable Kasuga…

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Omiwa Shrine, a spiritual sanctuary that has long been on my bucket list. Found in the southern portions of Nara Prefecture, this ancient sepulcher is regularly considered to be Japan’s oldest shrine. The…

Standing alone in the middle of a secluded forest, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by a sense of something supernatural. Just before me was a behemoth-size boulder known as the Itto-seki that had been split down the middle in…

Greetings readers! I hope you’re all safe and staying sane. As I write this, most of the world is currently on lockdown. Legally, Japan cannot mandate that everyone stay home yet the governor of Tokyo has requested all to refrain…

Think you know Nara? Think again! Today we will be traveling back in time to a period long before Nara became the capital of Japan in 710. We’ll be examining the Asuka area and the period of time from 538–710…

Ah springtime in Japan… Few things can compare to this country’s beauty when its legendary cherry blossoms begin to flower. Only around for a brief period of time, this highly treasured part of spring has been much beloved throughout Japanese…