Guesthouse Makura

Nara


In Naramachi and close to the sights, Guesthouse Makura occupies a 90-year-old wooden machiya (shophouse). It's been lightly renovated but retains much of the flavour of an old Japanese house (which may charm or annoy you: the walls are thin). But it's very well maintained and the English-speaking owner goes out of his way to make guests feel at home.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Nara attractions

1. Kōfuku-ji Three-Storey Pagoda

0.14 MILES

Kōfuku-ji's oldest structure is this often-overlooked, elegant three-storey pagoda built in 1181, a rare example of Heian-era architecture.

2. Kōfuku-ji Nanen-dō

0.15 MILES

Kōfuku-ji's southern octagonal hall, first built in 813 (and most recently reconstructed in 1789), enshrines an image of the bodhisattva Kannon.

4. Kōfuku-ji

0.21 MILES

Kōfuku-ji was founded in Kyoto in 669 and relocated here in 710. The original Nara temple complex had 175 buildings, though much has been lost over the…

5. Kōfuku-ji Tōkondō

0.22 MILES

Kōfuku-ji's Tōkondō is a National Treasure dating from 726 and rebuilt in 1415 (but paying homage to older structures). It houses several important…

6. Kōfuku-ji Hokuen-dō

0.22 MILES

Kōfuku-ji's northern octagonal hall was first built in 721. The current reconstruction is c 1210, making it the second-oldest structure at Kōfuku-ji.

7. Naramachi Monogatari-kan

0.22 MILES

This traditional-style house is now a community arts centre, with exhibitions and occasional live performances.

8. Kōfuku-ji National Treasure Museum

0.26 MILES

Reopened in 2018, this compact museum houses Kōfuku-ji's most important works of art, many of which date to the 8th century (and have managed to survive…