The Atlas Obscura Guide To Nara

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Nara, Japan

Updated April 9, 2024

Unusual Attractions in Nara

Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXiVVAVfiWw

Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

Nara, Japan

Nara Dreamland

The abandoned Japanese amusement park once loomed as a dystopian Disneyland.

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Ikaruga, Japan

Hōryū-ji

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

6 miles from Nara

Ikaruga, Japan

Funazuka Burial Mound

Once a heap of dirt with a shrubbery on it, this unassuming mound in a parking lot turned out to be an ancient tumulus.

6 miles from Nara

The quaint mountain pass on the Osaka-Nara border.

Ikoma, Japan

Kuragari Pass

This quaint mountain pass with centuries-old cobblestones is known as Japan's steepest slope.

7 miles from Nara

Neyagawa-shi, Japan

Kayashima Station

A Japanese train station built around a 700-year-old camphor tree.

11 miles from Nara

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Stories About Nara

In Nara City, Japan, sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years due to their sacred status in Shintoism.

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

The deer of Nara Park are part of a millennium-old genetic lineage—does that make them more deserving of protection?

by Roxanne Hoorn

April 9, 2024

Housekibaco’s kakigori with caramel milk syrup, raspberries, and—in a nod to a local Nara specialty—persimmon-leaf tea meringue.

In the Home of Japan's Ice Deity, the Art of Kakigori Reaches New Heights

Inside one man's quest to bring frozen glory back to Nara.

by Florentyna Leow

November 5, 2021

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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Nara

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Nara, Japan

Updated April 9, 2024

Unusual Attractions in Nara

Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

Nara, Japan

Nara Dreamland

Ikaruga, Japan

Hōryū-ji

Ikaruga, Japan

Funazuka Burial Mound

Ikoma, Japan

Kuragari Pass

Neyagawa-shi, Japan

Kayashima Station

Plan Your Trip

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Explore Nara, Japan

Nara Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Nara Activity

Stories About Nara

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

In the Home of Japan's Ice Deity, the Art of Kakigori Reaches New Heights

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Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.