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Conwy Suspension Bridge
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The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
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All Japan Nara

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Nara

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Nara, Japan

Updated April 9, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Nara

Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXiVVAVfiWw

Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.
Permanently Closed
Nara Dreamland

Nara, Japan

Nara Dreamland

The abandoned Japanese amusement park once loomed as a dystopian Disneyland.
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Horyuji Temple

Ikaruga, Japan

Hōryū-ji

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.
6 miles from Nara
The quaint mountain pass on the Osaka-Nara border.

Ikoma, Japan

Kuragari Pass

This quaint mountain pass with centuries-old cobblestones is known as Japan's steepest slope.
7 miles from Nara
The shrine at Kayashima Station

Neyagawa-shi, Japan

Kayashima Station

A Japanese train station built around a 700-year-old camphor tree.
11 miles from Nara
Hikō Jinja—Shrine of Flight

Yawata, Japan

Hikō Jinja—Shrine of Flight

Dedicated to humankind's achievements in aviation, this Shintō shrine is notable for its Greek-style architecture and collection of aircrafts.
14 miles from Nara
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Explore Nara, Japan

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Stories About Nara

In Nara City, Japan, sika deer have been protected for over a thousand years due to their sacred status in Shintoism.

Decoding the Sacred Genetics of Japan's Sika Deer

The deer of Nara Park are part of a millennium-old genetic lineage—does that make them more deserving of protection?
by Roxanne Hoorn
April 9, 2024
Housekibaco's kakigori with caramel milk syrup, raspberries, and—in a nod to a local Nara specialty—persimmon-leaf tea meringue.

In the Home of Japan's Ice Deity, the Art of Kakigori Reaches New Heights

Inside one man's quest to bring frozen glory back to Nara.
by Florentyna Leow
November 5, 2021

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