Nara Park

Nara Park is an urban park where you can enjoy the seasonal beauty of the city. It spans a vast area of 660 hectares, approximately 4 km east to west and 2 km north to south, and includes such famous sites as Kofukuji Temple, Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Shosoin Temple, Nara National Museum, Wakakusa Mountain, and Kasuga Mountain.

The park is home to approximately 1,300 deer, designated as a national natural treasure, and is famous as a cherry blossom viewing spot with 1,700 cherry trees in bloom in the spring. In the fall, visitors can enjoy the autumn colors of maple trees and ginkgo trees.

Nara Park is dotted with many national treasures and World Heritage properties, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, attracting many tourists from both Japan and abroad throughout the year.

The deer (about 1,200) and the Great Buddha in Nara Park are internationally famous and are the main attraction of Nara tourism.

The park is also the site of many events unique to the ancient capital, such as Todaiji Shuni-e, Nara Lantern Festival, Shosoin Exhibition, Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri, and others.

Within the park are the Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest, a national special natural treasure; the Kasuga Taisha Nagi Forest, a national natural treasure; the Loomis shijimi habitat; the Chishokuin Narano-yaezakura cherry tree; and the former premises of Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, which are national historic sites.

The deer inhabiting the park have long been considered sacred as messengers of the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and although they are accustomed to people, they are wild animals and are designated as “Nara’s deer,” a national protected species.

In spring, the area is famous for its cherry blossoms and has been selected as one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan, and many people enjoy viewing the blossoms around Ukimido.

Other animals such as musasabi and squirrels can be seen, as well as many plants such as pine, maple, nankin-haze, asebi, Japanese cedar, sarsaparilla, Japanese apricot, plum, camphor tree, and cypress.

There is no entrance fee, and the park has no walls, fences, or gates, so visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll at any time from any location, feeding rice crackers to the deer, or just relaxing.