A day in Nara

Nara, Japan

Dawn - Tōdai-ji outer gate

Cool mist lies over the stone path while soft gold light touches the timber gate. I move through the outer gate, past the fierce wooden statues, toward the hall of the Great Buddha. Tōdai-ji holds that bronze figure in one of the largest timber buildings in the world, with deer in the courtyards.

Morning - Grove beside the water

Dappled morning light falls through tall pines and breaks across the water. I rest in the shade and watch the pattern of shadow on the surface. Nara was ancient Japan's first permanent capital, and its quiet sacred groves are a main reason to come.

Morning - Kōfuku-ji pagoda precinct

Sharp shadows fall across weathered wood and pale stone under the late-morning sun. I study the multi-tiered pagodas that rise over this historic precinct. Kōfuku-ji was once the family temple of the Fujiwara clan, and its grounds hold priceless Buddhist statuary in modern exhibition halls.

Midday - Tōdai-ji open courtyards

Bright midday light picks out moss in the joints of the old stone. I cross the open courtyards where deer wander between the temple buildings. March to April brings cherry blossom here, while late October to November brings autumn maple colour.

Midday - Nara National Museum

Clear midday sun spreads a warm glow over the wide historic square. I make my way to the museum that sits close to the major temple grounds. Nara National Museum houses Buddhist art, sculpture, and ancient scrolls, with seasonal exhibitions of rare national treasures.

Golden Hour - Kasuga Taisha forest path

Warm late light falls through the tall trees onto moss and rows of stone lanterns. I follow the stone path inward, toward the quiet of the shrine. Kasuga Taisha is renowned for countless bronze and stone lanterns, and its vermilion corridors wind through dense woodland.

Golden Hour - Kasuga Taisha pillar

The wooden pillar beside me is warm vermilion in the soft orange light. I unwrap a piece of pressed sushi from its persimmon leaf. This regional delicacy is usually mackerel or salmon, and the leaf lends the cured fish a subtle aroma.

Golden Hour - Heijō Palace Site courtyard

The leaf-wrapped piece tastes faintly aromatic as I eat it in this quiet courtyard. I look across the open plain where the ancient imperial palace once stood. Heijō Palace Site lies on the western side of the city and shows the scale of the eighth-century capital.

Night - Heijō Palace grounds

Twilight cools the air as the sky deepens over the wide palace grounds. I keep on alone among the reconstructed remains, with mountains dark on the horizon. Visitors can explore the soaring main hall and the imperial audience chambers of this eighth-century capital.

Night - Kasuga Taisha at night

Stone lanterns glow warm against the cool night along these shrine paths. I remain still and watch the lights gather under the trees. For walking all day, comfortable trousers and smart-casual clothes match the practical style worn in Osaka and Kyoto.