Nara
A good place to sample local Nara specialities like kakinoha-zushi (pressed sushi wrapped in persimmon leaf – don't eat the leaf!) and chagayu (rice porridge made with roasted green tea). Look for the lattice-wood front.
It also has a kiosk in front of JR Nara Station selling kakinoha-zushi bentō (boxed meals; from ¥1000); as this form of sushi was originally a preservation technique it lasts for up to three days – perfect to take along on trips into rural Nara Prefecture.
22.71 MILES
The covered Nishiki Market (Nishiki-kōji Ichiba) is one of Kyoto’s real highlights, especially if you have an interest in cooking and dining. Commonly…
18.16 MILES
This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…
24.89 MILES
The thick green bamboo stalks seem to continue endlessly in every direction and there’s a strange quality to the light at this famous bamboo grove, which…
0.78 MILES
Nara's star attraction is its Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze statues in the world. It was unveiled in 752, upon the completion of the…
7.01 MILES
Hōryū-ji was founded in 607 by Prince Shōtoku, considered by many to be the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism. It's renowned not only as one of the oldest…
21.87 MILES
A buzzing hive of activity perched on a hill overlooking the basin of Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is one of Kyoto's most popular and most enjoyable temples. It…
20.04 MILES
With seemingly endless arcades of vermilion torii (shrine gates) spread across a thickly wooded mountain, this vast shrine complex is a world unto its own…
22.61 MILES
A collection of soaring buildings, spacious courtyards and gardens, Chion-in serves as the headquarters of the Jōdo sect, the largest school of Buddhism…
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.
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Kōfuku-ji's southern octagonal hall, first built in 813 (and most recently reconstructed in 1789), enshrines an image of the bodhisattva Kannon.
3. Kōfuku-ji Five-Storey Pagoda
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Japan's second-tallest pagoda, at 50.1m; originally built in 730 and last reconstructed in 1426.
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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…
0.21 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…
0.22 MILES
This traditional-style house is now a community arts centre, with exhibitions and occasional live performances.
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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.
8. Kōfuku-ji National Treasure Museum
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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…