Page 197 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

NAR A  195

housing the VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
permanent collec tion,
and a modern annex Practical Information
serving as a site for Nara prefecture. * 370,000.
special exhibitions. n at Kintetsu Nara stn (0742)
Most of the exhibits, 24-4858. _ Omizu-tori (Mar
including Buddhist 1–14). ∑ pref.nara.jp/nara_e/
sculptures, paintings, Transport
and calligraphy, date £ JR line from Kyoto, Kintetsu
from the Nara and line from Kyoto.
Heian periods. The Some of the 3,000 lanterns at Kasuga Shrine
museum holds an
annual exhibition in Y Isui-en Garden vermilion-colored shrine boast
October and early November Tel (0742) 25-0781. Open 9:30am– an astonishing 3,000 or so stone
of rarely seen treasures 4:30pm Wed–Mon (daily in Apr, May, and bronze lanterns. Donated by
from the Shoso-in Treasure Oct & Nov). & ordinary people as tokens of faith
Repository, a storehouse The powerful shapes of Wakakusa and thank fulness, the lanterns are
in the Todai-ji complex Hill and Mt Kasuga, and the mega- an impressive spectacle when
that was built to preserve lithic roof of Todai-ji form a back- they are lit during festivals in
Emperor Shomu’s private drop to this essentially Meiji-era early February and mid-August.
collection. The Shoso-in garden, which is popular in spring
itself houses over 9,000 for its plum, cherry, and azalea  Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple
precious objects, some of blooms, and in autumn for red Tel (0742) 22-3736. Open 9am–5pm
which are of Central Asian maples. Stone lanterns, a stream, daily. &
and Persian extraction, and teahouses complete the This temple was built by Empress
evidence of Nara’s picture. In the teahouses, visitors Komyo (701–60) as an offering
interaction with can eat mugitoro, a sweet potato, to the gods whose intercession
Nara Koen
Chuo Byoin these regions wheat, and rice mixture esteemed she sought in the recovery of
through its position by health-food advocates. her husband from an eye
at the end of the disease. Some structures were
Silk Road.  Todai-ji Temple rebuilt in the 13th century, but
See pp196–7. the main hall, the clay figures of
Oike Pond
Todai-ji the Healing Buddha (Yakushi
Nigatsu-do  Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Daibutsden Nyorai Buddha), and the Twelve
Sangatsu-do Tel (0742) 22-7788. Open 6am–6pm Heavenly Generals are originals.
Kaidan-in daily (Oct–Mar: 6:30am–5pm).
Kagami & for museum.
Pond Originally built as the tutelary
shrine of the Fujiwaras, one of the
Nandai-mon
Gate families who helped to establish
Nara, Kasuga Taisha is one of the
Isui-en best known and most photo-
O M I Y A - D O R I Garden Nara Park graphed Shinto sites. The original
OSAKA, building was completed in 768
KYOTO Kintetsu- Kofuku-ji
Nara Station Temple but, according to the strictures
of purity and renewal governing
Five-Storey Nara National
Pagoda Ichino-Torii Museum Shinto beliefs, the structure, like House in the residential and crafts quarter
S A N J O - D O R I Gate Kasuga the Great Shrine at Ise (see p202), of Naramachi
Taisha Shrine was demol ished and rebuilt in
JR Nara Station E Naramachi District
500 m (550 yards) NARAMACHI identical fashion every 20 years.
Toshodai-ji, Deer This has been repeated around The old quarter of Naramachi
Yakushi-ji, Ara Sagi Enclosure
Horyu-ji temples Pond Pond 60 times over the centuries. includes traditional machiya
The approach road and (merchant homes), mostly from
walk ways around this the mid-18th–19th centuries,
converted into galleries and
Sights at a Glance craft shops. The buildings are
distinguished by narrow front-
1 Todai-ji Temple
Wariishi ages and surprising depth, a
Bus Stop
Shin-Yakushi-ji 2 Isui-en Garden design that developed due
Temple
3 Kofuku-ji Temple to taxes that were assessed
4 Naramachi District by the width of a building’s
5 Nara National Museum frontage. Red monkeys
6 Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple (migawari-zaru) hang in front
7 Kasuga Taisha Shrine of houses for good luck.
For keys to symbols see back flap
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