Summer trip to Nara
Cha no Yu
Lunch at a store with a traditional Japanese house style. A light and healthy set meal made with Nara vegetables. And what's more, you can enjoy a foot bath at the same time. This is a first-time experience.
Comfort Hotel Nara
I stayed at Comfort Hotels located all over Japan. I feel a sense of security because I am familiar with them.
Heijo Palace Ruins Park
I went to the tourist attraction of the Heijo Palace ruins. It was much bigger than I imagined, and it was a very hot day, so I gave up going all the way to the back...
Golden Rabbit Beer
It was so hot that I wanted to drink beer from noon. I went to a craft beer bar operated by a brewery. I drank beer made using fresh hops harvested in Nara. The fruity and refreshing bitterness was impressive.
Toyonoakari
For dinner, I went to an izakaya that used Nara's ingredients such as Yamato vegetables. Nara is close to Kansai, so the light flavor was nice.
Ukimido
A temple floating in a pond visited on the way to Kasuga Grand Shrine. There were also deer around the pond.
Nakanonagimichi
I chose a path with a likely atmosphere when visiting Kasuga Taisha Shrine. In fact, there was no one there and it was very atmospheric.
Kasuga Shrine
I arrived at Kasuga Grand Shrine. It was impressive to see so many lanterns. It is said that there have been 3,000 lanterns donated from the Heian period to the present. There is also a room where you can enjoy only the light of the lanterns (Fujinami no Ya).
Matcha Lab Nara
On the way back from Kasuga Taisha Shrine, I found a matcha specialty store. It is a takeout-only store. In the scorching heat, I took a break with a matcha soda.
Kashiya
To the Japanese confectionery shop. I had wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) in the charming store. Actually, I came the day before, but it was full because of reservations. So, I made a reservation and came again on this day. It seems to be a popular shop.
ANY B&B + COFFEE
A store that offers specialty hand drip coffee. Although the interior is small, it has a cozy atmosphere where you can enjoy coffee. The salt brownie also went well with the coffee and was delicious.
Nara Food Mikado
For dinner, we went to a Pinchos specialty shop. I enjoyed a variety of creative Pinchos made with Nara ingredients, along with wine. It seems that if you write your ideas on paper inside the restaurant and pass it to the staff, it might be adopted into the menu.
Bar Savant
A shop that doesn't look like a bar from the outside without a signboard. Enjoying Western liquor in a Japanese atmosphere. An atmosphere that you want to enjoy in an ancient city like Nara. Cocktails were delicious and it was a very good bar.
おおみわじんじゃ
I knew that there is a famous shrine called Oomiwa Shrine in Miwa, so I stopped by. It is located away from the city center of Nara, but many people had come to worship. The impressively high donation box left a strong impression. It seems like some people may not be able to reach it without throwing in their offering.
Ohtataneko Shrine
"Ootataneko" is a kanji that many Japanse also couldn't read without looking it up first (laughs). It seems that they enshrine Otataneko, a descendant of Oomononushi Ookami, the main deity of Oomiwa Shrine. More impressive than the shrine itself is the old reddish-brown wooden entrance. It is said to be made of cedar wood called "Odamaki Sugi," derived from the birth of Otataneko.
Miwanosato Ikegawa
A shop with an atmosphere that seems to offer authentic Miwa somen noodle. The somen had a unique texture that I had never experienced before, with a nice chewiness to it. I have cooked and eaten dried Miwa somen noodles sold in supermarkets before, but they are completely different from that. The dipping sauce was also delicious. I'm glad I came all the way to Sanuki to eat this.
Nara, being an ancient capital, had many foreign tourists. However, it was not as crowded as Kyoto, so we were able to enjoy sightseeing in a more relaxed manner. However, there were more shops that required reservations than expected. There are also many atmospheric shops, so I would like to come back next time just to leisurely enjoy food and drink.
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I live in Kumano City, which is blessed with abundant nature. I often take trips to places Nanki-Kumano and various other regions across Japan. I enjoy exploring local cuisine and drinks. I travel by train and folding bicycle, without using a car. The folding bicycle I ride is the DAHON Dove Plus.
