24 Hours in Nara

In case you haven’t heard, it is Nara’s 1300th anniversary this year. Since you’re not going to get a chance to celebrate an anniversary like this for another century, this is the time to visit the former capital if you happen to be in Japan. That being said, what if you can only spare a day for Nara, is it still worth going? Well if the title didn’t give away the answer, any tour guide probably told you by now that most people make a day trip of it from Kyoto anyway. That approach, while eminently workable, is a tad shortsighted since a full 24 hours in the area will yield some extra rewards.

A stay at Ryokan Seikanso is highly recommended, not only for its reasonable price, but its large courtyard garden. A former brothel, it was converted into a ryokan by a husband-wife team. I’m not sure if the same people still own it, but they provided attentive and courteous service when I stayed there in 1997. Staying a night in Nara offers a couple additional advantages that Kyoto daytrippers miss out on. The first is a chance to explore Nara’s main shopping strip at night when it’s mostly locals going about their daily lives. Nara is famous for its inkstones, so you might want to pick one of the more creative designs as a memento. The second advantage, as always, is a chance to get an early start on your day before the tourist invasion begins.

After eating a traditional breakfast at the ryokan, make your way to Sarusawaike Pond in the heart of the city. This oft photographed spot is a must see for couples looking for a romantic picture with the pagoda of Kofukuji Temple in the background. From there, you can either climb the temple’s stairs and cross the courtyard for a closer look at the pagoda, or head directly to Nara Park for the obligatory feeding of the deer.

The deer are considered sacred, so they have carte blanche to roam in the park. A hunter unconvinced by "the thrill of the chase" shot one with a crossbow earlier this year, the third such incident since 2003. For those with a more caring disposition, food can be bought from any of the vendors peddling their wares in the park, and it won’t be long before the bossy deer start nudging you until every last crumb has been shared. Keep your head on a swivel walking through the koen, especially if you have small children with you. I have seen the deer charge down the hill when startled, and it could get ugly if you found yourself in their path.

Since it is early, this is the best time to visit Todaiji, widely advertised as the world’s largest wooden structure. The second and third thing everyone learns about Todaiji is that the original structure was much larger, and that it holds the world’s largest Buddha statue. Less widely known perhaps, is that there is a hole at the bottom of the post in the back right corner that is said to be cut to the exact size of the Buddha’s nostril. Why, you ask? Well, it is said that to crawl through the hole is like entering the mind of Buddha, that is, to achieve enlightenment. While this might trigger envious thoughts about a child’s relatively better chance of experiencing satori, try this tactic: stretch one arm out in front of you and lower the other one on your side. The purpose of this is twofold, one, it narrows your shoulders, two, it frees up a hand you can use to pull yourself through. If you manage the feat, I guarantee that you will attract a crowd of delighted and impressed Japanese. 

After filling your camera’s memory card at Todaiji, you might want to make the short walk to Shoso-in to see Todaiji’s unique Treasure House. Another wooden building that is almost as old as Nara itself, its raised platform helped preserve the artifacts collected by the Imperial Court when the city was the capital. Understandably, the building itself is closed to the public, but the artifacts are annually displayed at the Nara National Museum, for those who are interested.

Before this year, I would have recommended making the short climb up the hill to Nigastudo Temple. It offers a panoramic view of Nara, and a chance to stand above Todaiji’s roof. It is also a good place to buy a fortune and hope for some 大吉, or "Great Fortune." However, those short on time would probably be better served by a taxi ride to the reconstructed Daigokuden, to get a glimpse of what palace life was like in Japan when Nara was the capital. The historical significance of Daigokuden goes well beyond its status as Nara's great palace complex. According to Herman Ooms's Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan, Daigoku was the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Taiji. The significance of this becomes clearer when one learns that "[t]he eighth century was Daoism's golden age in China" and that Emperor Tenmu patterned his palace on that built by the Northern Wei court. Tenmu's effort to establish his line met with the same fate as his effort to give Daoism a more prominent role in Japan. Knowing that Daigokuden represents his failed legacy will surely add a valuable subtext as you admire the painstaking reconstruction that has only opened to the public this year.

Enjoy your visit to Daigokuden, because this is your last hour in Nara proper. No, I haven’t forgotten how to count to 24. You are going to be spending the rest of your day visiting the ur-temple of Japan--Horyuji. But to get there in time to make a worthwhile afternoon of it, you will need to taxi back to Nara station and take the Yamatoji line to Horyuji Station. While on the train, watch for the twin pagodas of Yakushiji Temple, famous for projecting the illusion of being six stories tall when in fact they have three levels with double roofs.

Horyuji Temple, or more properly, Hōryūji (try hold each macron'd syllable an extra beat if you want to be understood by the taxi driver), is the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan. It was the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and with good reason. To enter it is to transport yourself to a time when Buddhism was in its infancy in the land. Prince Shotoku, the promulgator of Japan's first constitution, was also the driving force behind introducing the mainland religion to the island. Everything about the place seems carefully designed to awe the average person unfamiliar with Buddhism. Walking the long avenue toward the front gate, one is immediately impressed by the size of the complex and the carefully planned asymmetry of the temple's main buildings. Approaching the gate, it is hard not to feel intimidated by the glares of the towering Nio Guardians, even if one has seen smaller versions of them at other temples. Then there is the curious octagon-roofed Yumedono (Dream Hall) that houses a statue of Prince Shotoku, which would have likely created a sense of wonder in anyone seeing it for the first time.

Here's what I wrote about it after my first visit December 23, 1997.

Horyuji was the first stop and proved to be my favourite temple complex. The subdued tones of the temple complement the peacefulness of the grounds. The Chumon (central gate) and Goju-no-To (5 story pagoda) at over 1300 years old are the oldest existing wooden structures in the world, surviving the wars, fires, and earthquakes that ensured that most historical buildings we see in Japan today are reconstructions built according to original plans. I have seen the elaborately painted pagoda of Shinshoji in Narita-san and the expensively lacquered pagoda in Nikko, but this simple survivor is my favourite.

Travis Belrose is the author of The Samurai Poet, a work of historical fiction set in 17th century Japan. Learn more here.