Get Coupons at Visit Japan 2011

Visit Japan 2011 is a web site run by JAPAN Tourism Agency. Including NARA WALK, over 4000 shops and companies have listed their shop/company information in Visit Japan web site. All shops and companies listed in Visit Japan web site offer deals (ex. discount offers, a small gift, etc) to those who have Visit Japan Coupons.

NARA WALK offers a discount on our two daily tours, Daily Nara Park Classic Tour and Daily Great Buddha Tour. To get discounts, present a Visit Japan Coupon to our guide when you join our daily tours. Coupons are accepted from September 1 - November 30, 2011.

Visit Japan 2011: Daily Nara Park Classic Tour page
Visit Japan 2011: Daily Great Buddha Tour page
Visit Japan 2011: Coupon Download page

Sue
-NARAWALK guide 

Cherry blossom is blooming!

This is a picture of a shrine known for its 100 years old cherry tree. During a cherry blossom season, we try to make a small detour during our Daily Standard Nara Park and Daily Morning Todaiji tour to incorporate a seasonal touch to our tours. The shrine in the picture is one of our favourite spots for cherry blossom viewing - you'll know where it is during our tour!

(The picture is taken on March 27)

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

JR Nara Station: New Ticket Gates Location

JR Nara Station opened its new ticket gates on March 13. There used to be central ticket gates and western ticket gates, but now there is only one location by the second floor.

See the Nara Station map below. (Click to enlarge. Lockers, WC, TIC etc. also indicated.)


As ticket gates moved, we also moved our meeting point for our daily tours - Daily Nara Park Standard Tour & Daily Morning Todaiji. As indicated in the map above, we will be waiting for you near TIC and/or JR ticket office. (We are still trying to figure out where would be a best meeting place near new ticket gates. We might also be by East Gate. )

TIC is on the same floor as the ticket gates. Look for red sign, you will find TIC. Look for a white flag, you will find us!


Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Season 2010

The new season for Nara Walk will begin soon! From March 1st, we are back in JR Nara Station to welcome you with our daily walking tours.

What's New for 2010?
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1.More Daily Walking Tours You Can Join Without Reservation!

If you have limited time in Nara and want to find out about Nara, try our new tour "Daily Morning Todaiji".

Daily Morning Todaiji is a daily tour you can join without reservation from March 1st through December 20. Fee is 1,500yen per person. Duration is about 2hours.

For details check our website at NARAWALK (www.narawalk.com).

2.Special Tour to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of Nara becoming the first capital in Japan.

Did you know that the first capital of Japan was set in Nara? This year Nara is celebrating the 1300th anniversary of becoming the capital.

To celebrate this occasion, we are planning a special tour in the area near Nara Palace Site. We are still working on the details, imagining the smiles of our future customers.
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The day is getting longer and longer. Plums started to bloom. It's getting nicer and nicer to take a walking tour.

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

New Maiko Debut

A new Maiko debut in Ganrinin-town, Nara's Gion! The new charm of the town is named Kikuchiyo (菊千栄 in Japanese). The poster above is put by her senior Geiko's fan club, Kikuno-kai, to celebrate her debut~. All the good wishes to her success!

Ganrinin-town is just a street or so away from Sarusawa pond which is part of our daily walking tour.

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Antique Fair in Nara Park

"AOZORA KOTTO-ICHI," an open-air antique fair will be held in Nara Park for the first time. Antique lovers, come and dig up?! something unique to take home with you.

Dates:
Nov. 7-8, 14-15, 21-23
10:00 ~ 17:00
will be held in rain too!

Place:
Ukigumo Park in Nara Park
(It's near Todaiji Temple. If you're going to the temple, you'll notice. It is also along our regular tour's route. If your are joining our tour on those days, you'll be sure to know where the event is held!)

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Shoso-in Exhibition Review

I went to Shoso-in Exhibition yesterday afternoon. Arriving Nara National Museum around 15:30, there were no lineups! Lucky me! I left my baggage in the free coin locker room provided for the exhibition visitors, and hurried myself inside.

I already had my ticket so I didn't needed to buy one. If you need to buy tickets, get them from a temporary ticket counter at JR or Kintetsu Nara Station. They have cheaper tickets than the ones sold at the museum.

At the museum entrance, personal voice guidance machines (500 yen, available in English) are available. There might be English volunteer guides available, too. Hearing explanation doubles the enjoyment of any exhibition (at least for me).

Among the numerous exhibits - beautiful in form or in craftsmanship, and interesting in its history - my favorite exhibit is exhibit no. 48 "Kingin-no-kaban." It is a silver plate ornamented with a imaginary deer "Hana-shika," a deer with antlers of flowering branches. The look of it reminds me of the deer like god "Shishi-gami" from Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke"!

"Hana-shika" was a popular motif in T'ang Dynasty symbolizing happiness. It looks like a Princess Mononoke's deer like god. Deer is also symbolic in Nara (you'll hear why during our tour). History, Nara and even animation, just fused in this single exhibit - exhibit no. 48.

What will your favorite exhibit be?

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

*Find dates and admission of this exhibition in our former article: Sosho-in exhibition is COMING SOON!

Scenary of Autumn

Autumn is the season of harvest. If you have visited Nara during September to mid October, you have probably seen something triangle standing in a field (like the ones in the picture) on your train trip from Kyoto or Osaka to Nara. And you have probably wondered what they are ...

Well, they are bundles of rice straws being dried for their own harvest. Yes, as well as grain, straw is harvested. During our tour, you will see at least one example of how rice straw is utilized in Japan.


Sue
-NARAWALK guide

Wanna try on Kimono?

You can try on Kimono for free in Nara.

A volunteer group 'JOIN JAPAN NARA' will provide you an opportunity to get dressed in kimono and participate in a tea ceremony, once a month (usually 2nd Tuesday) at the 2nd floor of Nara City Tourism Center on Sanjo St. If you plan to stay in Nara around 2nd Tuesday, it would be a great experience to get in touch with Japanese culture of Kimono and tea ceremony.

You can choose your favorite one from their various Kimono, which are authentic and made of silk. They will also explain how to enjoy tea ceremony in English. What you need is just 200 yen, a nominal charge for tea sweets.

Visit their web-site for more informations.

KAY

-NARAWALK guide

Shoso-in exhibition is COMING SOON!

Shoso-in is a repository of Todaiji Temple. Its treasures are composed of fine art objects which belonged to Emperor Shomu, who ordered the erection of Todaiji Temple, and temple's treasures used at the consecration of Great Buddha in 752. You can understand Nara is a terminal of 'Silk Road' to see some treasures from China and Persia.

Some of those treasures are on exhibition once a year. The 61st Shoso-in exhibition will be held:

Duration: October 24 (Sat) ~ November 12 (Thu)

At Nara National museum (New building)

Hours: 9 AM to 6 PM (to 7 PM on Fridays~Sundays & national holiday)

Admission: Adults 1000yen, High school & College students 700yen, students(1st~9th graders) 400yen, Nov. 12:free

There will be a long line of people who want to see those treasures. The line would be shorter in late afternoon. I recommend to see the exhibition after our regular tour.

Why don't you come and see the treasures of 1250 years ago!

KAY

-NARAWALK guide

Experience NARUTO in Nara?!

Are you a NARUTO fan? (For those of you who don't know NARUTO, it's a Japanese animation popular worldwide) Do you remember Japanese letters "あ(Ah)" and "うん(UN)" appearing on the entrance gate of Konoha ninja village?

Well, in Nara you can see historical and National Treasure "あ(Ah)" and "うん(UN)"! When you're visiting Todaiji Temple just pay close attention to statues at the entrance gate. Read the lips of the statues...

By the way, these two words "あ(Ah)" and "うん(UN)" are found at the entrance gate for very good reasons. You can discover the deep meaning behind "あ(Ah)" and "うん(UN)" in our tour!

Sue
-NARAWALK guide

NARAWALK GUIDE's blog created

Hello, everyone.
As a member of NARAWALK - best sightseeing walking tours in Nara, I'm happy to announce our guide member blog has started!
Don't know about NARAWALK? Then, visit our brand new web site at http://www.narawalk.com/

Our daily tour runs everyday and we welcome guests from all over the world.
If you are planning a trip to Japan, don't forget to include NARAWALK in your itinerary!



Our guide members will start writing posts to this blog soon.
Stay tuned!

Tommy - NARAWALK web site admin