3 days in Nara 🇯🇵 Beyond the Deer 🦌 & Temples ⛩️

10 places in this vlog

In the order they appear. Tap a time to play it here, or ↗ to open YouTube at that second.

1. 0:43

   Nara Park

   🌳 Park · Nara Park

   Deer bow for shika senbei crackers sold at stalls; show an open palm to signal you have no food left.

2. 2:53

   Todaiji Temple

   ⛩️ Temple · Nara Park

   On Buddha's birthday (8 April), visitors pour sweet tea over a Buddha statue.

3. 7:00

   Kasuga Taisha

   ⛩️ Temple · Nara Park

   Inside the paid area, a dark room shows some of the lanterns lit up.

4. 10:07

   Nigatsudo Hall

   ⛩️ Temple · Nara Park

   About a 5-minute walk behind the Great Buddha Hall and free to visit.

5. 11:34

   Izakaya One

   🍴 Restaurant · JR Nara Station

   There's a 500 yen seating fee; dinner for two came to about AUD 90.

6. 13:32

   Mount Yoshino

   🚆 Day trip · Yoshino

   Arrive very early: car parks fill by 6 a.m. and car access ends around 8 a.m. Try the Sakura Cola.

7. 15:00

   Hanayagura Observation Point

   🏢 Landmark · Yoshino

   Reaching it requires a bit of a hike; the view may disappoint if blossoms are past peak or the sky is hazy.

8. 22:34

   Tsubosaka-dera

   ⛩️ Temple · Takatori

   Features a 'glasses graveyard' of offered eyeglasses and a love legend likened to Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending.

9. 28:05

   Matabei-zakura

   🌳 Park · Uda

   Entry is only 100 yen.

10. 29:30

    Mount Wakakusa

    🥾 Hike · Nara Park

    Closed in winter, small entrance fee, and no rubbish bins anywhere on the hill.