Explore Nara: A Day Trip from Osaka, Nara, Japan

Nara, Japan, was Japan’s first permanent capital in 710 and remains rich in history and culture, featuring ancient temples, roaming deer, and unique dining options, ideal for day trips from Osaka or Kyoto.

Nara, Japan, is a place of peculiar occurrences. And it is a place of ancient beauty and sorrowful history. If you’re not bored yet, read on for a complete Nara travel guide.

In the year 710, Japan settled on it’s first permanent capital in Heijo, now known as Nara. Before that, a new capital was selected for each new emperor, which sounds exhausting and inefficient. However, as time passed, the Buddhist monasteries of Nara grew increasingly influential and the government didn’t appreciate this apparent threat to their power. To escape this predicament, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784, and then to Kyoto soon thereafter.

Nara’s streets, once bustling with the imperial court, now echo with the gentle footsteps of tourists. Although no longer the capital city, Nara remains a treasure trove of history and culture including some of Japan’s oldest and largest temples.

But the real draw are the charming wild deer who roam freely, as if they were the true masters of the land. In Nara, the deer bow to visitors as a sign of welcome. But these creatures, while seemingly harmless, have a knack for causing mischief. They are known to steal food from unsuspecting tourists, and their gentle demeanor can be deceiving, as they have also been known to nip at ankles, chew on clothing, and even knock over unsuspecting pedestrians. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).