Nara Prefecture: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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JPY 7,350 - 12,600 Hotel Sunroute Nara
 Hotel Sunroute Nara offers rooms with free internet and parking in the heart of Japan’s ancient capital, on a less than 10 minutes’ walk from both… MoreJPY 21,021 - 37,514 Nara Hotel
 Located about a 10-minute bus ride from JR Nara Train Station, Nara Hotel offers traditional Japanese-style rooms with historical decorations and free… MoreJPY 9,500 - 17,000 Nara Royal Hotel
 Nara Royal Hotel offers comfortable air-conditioned rooms with free internet access. It features a spa centre with a natural hot spring bath, 4 restau… MoreJPY 7,000 - 21,000 Hotel Nikko Nara
 On just a 1-minute stroll from Nara Station, Hotel Nikko Nara offers comfortable rooms with free wired internet. It features 5 dining options, bicycle… MoreJPY 7,000 - 22,000 Hotel Fujita Nara
 Only 500 metres from JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara train stations, Hotel Fujita Nara has a relaxing massage service. It features 2 restaurants and offers … MoreJPY 13,000 - 30,000 Hotel Asyl Nara
 Just a 5-minute walk from JR Nara Train Station and a 10-minute walk from Nara Park, Hotel Asyl Nara features free public baths, a Japanese restaurant… MoreJPY 11,000 - 12,000 Hotel Asyl Nara Annex
 Hotel Asyl Nara Annex offers comfortable contemporary rooms with free internet access. It has a free shuttle bus from JR Nara Station and Kitetsu Nara… MoreJPY 3,800 - 9,300 Guesthouse Nara Komachi
 Just a 5-minute walk from JR Nara Station, Guesthouse Nara Komachi offers affordable rooms with free internet access and a private bathroom with showe… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nara Prefecture: Guide
is part of the Kansai|Kinki region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara, Nara|Nara.
History
Historically, Nara Prefecture was also known as Yamato Province|Yamato-no-kuni or Yamato Province.
It is certain that a political force established at the foot of Mt. Miwa in the east of Nara Sedimentary basin|basin succeeded in unifying most parts of Japan from the third century until the fourth century, though the process was not well documented. At the dawn of history Yamato was clearly the political center of Japan.
In 7th century, Nara accepted the many Korean refugees who had escaped from war disturbances of the southern part of a Korean peninsula. The royal court also established relations with Sui Dynasty|Sui and then Tang Dynasty China and sent students to the Middle Kingdom to learn high civilization. In the 8th century, the royal court, which had been itinerant from place to place, constructed a new capital modelled after the Chinese capital, Chang'an (today's Xi'an). The first high civilization with royal patronage of Buddhism flourished in today's Nara city (710–784 AD).
Even after the political capital moved to Kyoto, Buddhist temples in Nara remained powerful and continued to enjoy religious fame. In the medieval age, many local samurai clans sprang up and fought with each other. The Tokugawa Shogunate, ultimately unifying warring lords, directly ruled the city of Nara and most parts of Yamato province with a few feudal lords allocated at Koriyama, Takatori and other places. With the commercial economy developing in the eighteenth century, the economy of the province was incorporated into prosperous Osaka, the commercial capital of Japan at that time. The economic dependency to Osaka characterizes even today's Nara Prefecture, for many inhabitants commute to Osaka to work or study there.
Geography
Nara Prefecture is located in the middle of the Kii Peninsula on the western half of Honshū, Japan. Nara Prefecture is part of the Kansai, or Kinki, region of Japan. Nara Prefecture is landlocked. The northern plains of the prefecture are bounded by the tallest mountains in the Kansai, located in the south of the prefecture. It is 78.5 km from East to west and 103.6 km from North to South.
Nara is bordered to the west by Wakayama Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture; on the north by Kyoto Prefecture and on the east by Mie Prefecture.
Despite being in the middle of Japan, Nara is one of Japan's warmest prefectures; snow is a rarity in Nara, although there is some accumulation in the southern mountains during the winter. Winter temperatures average about 5°C (with −10°C being the extreme minimum in mountain areas). Summer in Nara is known for being hot and humid, with high temperatures ranging between 25°C in the mountains and 35°C in the northern plains. Nara takes pride in being one of the hottest prefectures in all of Japan.
Spring and fall are both temperate and beautiful. The mountainous region of Yoshino has been popular both historically and presently for its beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring. Yoshino and Omine, in these mountains, recently shared the honor of designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the fall, the southern mountains are equally beautiful with the changing of the oak trees.
Cities
Twelve cities are located in Nara Prefecture:
Nara, Nara|Nara (capital)
Towns and villages in each districts of Japan|district:
On October 1, 2004 the towns of Shinjo, Nara|Shinjo and Taima, Nara|Taima from Kitakatsuragi District, Nara|Kitakatsuragi District merged to form the new city of Katsuragi, Nara|Katsuragi.
On April 1, 2005 the villages of Tsuge, Nara|Tsuge from Yamabe District, Nara|Yamabe District and Tsukigase, Nara|Tsukigase from Soekami District, Nara|Soekami District merged into the city of Nara, Nara|Nara. Soekami District, Nara|Soekami District was dissolved as a result of this merger.
On September 25, 2005 the villages of Oto, Nara|Oto and Nishiyoshino, Nara|Nishiyoshino from Yoshino District, Nara|Yoshino District merged into the city of Gojo, Nara|Gojo.
On January 1, 2006 the towns of Haibara, Nara|Haibara, Ouda, Nara|Ouda and Utano, Nara|Utano and the village of Murou, Nara|Murou (all from Uda District, Nara|Uda District) merged to form the new city of Uda, Nara|Uda.
Buddhist temples
Shinto shrines
Kofun and heritage
Mountains
Other attractions
Ancient Nara monuments
Sacred sites and pilgrimage routes
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Nara Prefecture". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Gojo, Nara|Gojo
Gose, Nara|Gose
Ikoma, Nara|Ikoma
Kashiba, Nara|Kashiba
Kashihara, Nara|Kashihara
Katsuragi, Nara|Katsuragi
Sakurai, Nara|Sakurai
Tenri, Nara|Tenri
Uda, Nara|Uda
Yamatokoriyama, Nara|Yamatokoriyama
Yamatotakada, Nara|Yamatotakada
Towns and villages
}Mergers
Politics
Modern prefectural government was established in 1871. Prefectural governors were appointed by the central government until elected in 1947.
Mr. Yoshiya Kakimoto, who long served for the central government, has continued to be elected as governor since 1991.
Generally speaking, Japan's police are clean compared to counterparts in many other countries, but a lot of scandals have daunted Nara Prefectural Police recently. The most notorious scandal involving high police officials was revealed in 2001. Economy
Tourism, currently, is one of Nara's largest industries, due to the natural beauty, historical significance, and peaceful yet convenient location in the middle of the Kansai region.
Strawberry and watermelon are the dominant agricultural products of the prefecture.
Nara is a center for the production of instruments used in conducting traditional Japanese artforms, including calligraphy and Japanese tea ceremony|tea ceremony.
On an equal level with Yamagata Prefecture, Nara is one of the largest national suppliers of goldfish. The industry centers in Yamatokoriyama.
Due to its rich history, Nara is also the location of many archeological digs, with many famous ones being located in the Villages of Japan|village of Asuka, Nara|Asuka. Demographics
Culture
Nara is known as a very conservative prefecture, and a bit behind the times of modern Japan. It is the last place where new fads and fashions arrive, and the last place that they leave. Tourism
Many Jinja (shrine)|Jinja (Shinto shrines) and Buddhist temples, and kofun exist in Nara Prefecture, and many tourists are visiting there. Moreover, many world heritage sites, such as the temple Tōdai-ji and Kasuga Shrine, exist in the capital city of Nara.
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Hot springs
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World Heritage sites
Buddhist monuments
in the Horyu-ji area
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in the Kii mountain range
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Prefectural symbols
Miscellaneous topics
External links