Nara

A short train ride from Kyoto, Nara was Japan’s capital in the 700s, before Kyoto took over, and the city still feels like a smaller, slower version of it. The two reasons most travellers come are Todai-ji (a wooden hall containing a fifteen-metre bronze Buddha, one of the largest in Japan) and the more than a thousand semi-tame sika deer that wander the surrounding park and bow politely for crackers. Half a day is enough; an early start lets you walk through the deer park before the morning trains arrive.

The massive timber temple of Todai-ji great wooden hall in spring with sweeping curved roofs, cherry blossoms in the foreground, soft morning light — Todai-ji in spring.

Gentle sika deer grazing on autumn grass in Nara Park at sunrise, soft golden mist between the trees — Sika deer in Nara Park at sunrise.

The fifteen-meter seated bronze Great Buddha inside Todai-ji, dimly lit from above with an ornate temple interior, sense of vast scale — Great Bronze Buddha, Todai-ji.

Hundreds of moss-covered stone lanterns lining a forest walkway at Kasuga Taisha shrine, dappled morning sunlight, no people — Kasuga Taisha lantern path.

A visitor bowing to a sika deer in Nara Park, the deer politely bowing back for a cracker, autumn maples in the background — A polite exchange in Nara Park.

Yoshikien Garden in autumn, Nara, a traditional Japanese pond garden with red and gold maples reflecting in still water, a stone lantern and an arched wooden bridge under soft overcast light — Yoshikien Garden in autumn.

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5 in-depth guides to Nara — food, nightlife, beaches, transport, money and the practical detail that is hard to find.

Nara

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