What do I need to know before going to Nara Park?

Things to Know Before You Go Nara Park is free to enter, though many of the attractions charge for admission. If you want to feed the deer, you must purchase special crackers, which are available from vendors throughout the park. You may not feed the deer anything else, and you can not leave any trash in the park.



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Nara Park is very large and packed with the typical Japanese tourist attractions- ancient shrines and temples, imposing gates, wooden pagodas and oh-so pretty cherry trees. More uniquely, there is even a big Buddha and about 1,200 free-roaming, tame deer.

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The JR Nara line takes 45 minutes by express train or 70 minutes if you catch a local train from Kyoto Station. It's covered by the JR Pass but the price is 690 yen if you don't have one. This is the best way to get from Kyoto to Nara if you have the Japan Rail Pass.

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It depends on how much you want to see in Nara. A day trip will be just fine for major sites in central Nara such as Todaiji, Nara Park, Tofukuji and Kasha Shrine, but if you want to see sites not in central Nara such as Horyuji, Toshodaiji and Yakushiji, then you should spend a night.

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Do not carelessly touch or approach the deer! Do not let your child approach the deer alone! The deer in Nara Park are wild animals. Their behavior is unpredictable.

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Yusa has the following hypothesis about this: "A long time ago, the deer in the capital Nara were afraid of humans, so they might have started bowing as a result of being stressed. However, the city gradually became a sightseeing spot and the deer learned to bow to people to get Shika Senbei rice crackers.

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Buses & Bus Tours Nara Kotsu operates the prefecture's extensive bus network, making it possible to travel to many of the more remote areas not served by rail. They also run many tourist-friendly bus routes linking the key attractions in Nara City, and in other popular areas like Asuka.

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The Local Food of Nara
  • Traditional Rice Porridge (Nara-wide) ...
  • Nara Green Tea Rice (Nara-wide) ...
  • Persimmon Leaf Sushi / Magnolia Leaf Sushi (Nara-wide) ...
  • Mehari Rice Balls (Totsukawamura, Shimakitayamamura etc) ...
  • Somen Noodles / Boiled Noodles (Nara-wide) ...
  • Nara Noppe (Nara-wide) ...
  • Vinegar Persimmon (Nara-wide)


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Nara's sights include Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Heijo Palace, Nara National Museum, the Neiraku Museum and the Isuien Garden Complex.

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By limited express, the one way trip from Osaka-Namba Station to Nara (Kintetsu Nara Station) takes about 30 minutes and costs 1200-1300 yen. By express, it takes just a few minutes longer, but costs only 680 yen. Trains also stop at Tsuruhashi Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line.

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