Nara

The Tanize Suspension Bridge is a famous attraction of Totsukawa Village of Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture. The villagers hung the 297-meter-long, 54-meter-high bridge on their own in 1954, and today it is the country's longest suspension bridge used in everyday activities. Enjoy the thrill of crossing the swinging bridge as you gaze at the mountains along the gorge and the beautiful river flowing underneath the bridge, amazing scenery of Totsukawa that can only be found here.

Hozan-ji Temple is located on the hillside of Nara Prefecture's Mount Ikoma, worshiped as a mountain where gods reside since ancient times. With the enshrinement of Shoten, a Buddhist guardian god, Hozan-ji Temple has been affectionately called Ikoma Shoten. The deity Shoten is also called Kangiten and is said to grant all wishes in the present world. At Hozan-ji Temple, the Kangiten Festival is held on the first and 16th day of every month, and the temple becomes bustling with visitors...

Located in the mountains in western Nara Prefecture, Mifune Waterfall is roughly 50 meters high with the waters tumbling in two tiers. The scenery is beautiful in the spring to early summer with fresh greenery, as well as in autumn as the waters fall amid the vibrant foliage. However, the most impressive scenery is during the harsh cold period of winter when the entire waterfall freezes into a spectacular ice waterfall. Enjoy trekking along the natural phenomenon, a rare opportunity in the...

Located in the village of Tenkawa in Nara Prefecture, Dorogawa Onsen has long flourished as a hot spring retreat for Shugendo practitioners who were visiting Mount Omine for ascetic training. The entire hot spring town is cloaked in a quaint atmosphere, but in particular, the "engawa" boarded floor running along the outside of traditional Japanese inns lets you feel the remnant of the Showa Period (1926-1989). It is perfect to sit and take a short rest. At night, the streets are lit up with...

Mount Yoshino in central Nara Prefecture has long been famous as a cherry blossom viewing spot. On the ridge extending about 8 kilometers at the north end of the Omine mountain range, varieties of cherry blossoms start to bloom from the foothills and travel upwards in the order of Shimosenbon, Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon and Okusenbon. Around 30,000 cherry blossom trees are said to cover the valleys and ridges, and come into full bloom from the beginning to the end of April. In particular,...

Kasuga-taisha Shrine is a World Cultural Heritage site with a history of 1,300 years, and is the head shrine of the over 3,000 Kasuga Shrines to be found all around Japan. Surrounded by a primeval forest stands an impressive bright orange shrine building on the premises, which are also famous for the many gorgeous wisteria trees that come into full bloom in the spring. The shrine is located in Nara Park, and there are over a 1,000 deer roaming the grounds that are considered messengers from...

Nara Park, where you can get up close and personal with deer, covers an expanse of 511 hectares. With its harmony of vast, green, and natural beauty, it has been described as an unparalleled historic park. The temple buildings highlighted against the trees, the lawns lush with green grass, the sight of herds of deer playing. These sights of “Daibutsu, green and deer,” which represent Nara Park, are also the face of the ancient capital of Nara.