Nara Attractions | Best Places for Instagram-Worthy Snapshots

Travelers planning a trip to Nara City will want to have their cameras ready and smartphones charged because Instagram-worthy snapshots of Nara attractions are everywhere! Visitors can start with a tour of Nara Park and snap photos of sika deer and the historic temple Todaiji. From Todaiji, adventurous photographers should follow the walking trail up Mount Wakakusa. Another option is to take a 75-minute train ride from Abenobashi Station in Osaka to Mount Yoshino (Yoshinoyama) to be treated to luscious views and enjoy a tour of Hasedera Temple, famous for its Noborirou (climbing corridor) and the breathtaking views from its main hall!

Highlights of Nara Attractions | Instagram-Worthy Photo Spots in Nara City

Nara City is packed full of activities, temples and historic sites. Visitors quickly will make friends with sika deer in Nara Park, and surrounding scenic spots offer picture-perfect mountain views, occasional fireworks displays and breathtaking landscapes.

Mount Wakakusa (Wakakusayama)

Mount Wakakusa is the first scenic point visitors lay their eyes upon when visiting Nara Park. The grassy hill is 342 meters high and covered by three layers of green lawn over 33 hectares.

A good stopping point is the observatory located about halfway up Mount Wakakusa. The viewpoint gives visitors a panoramic view of Nara City and surrounding regions, as well as the summit of the mountain. The night view from Mount Wakakusa is acknowledged as one of three new major night views of Japan.

New deer sightings also are commonplace on Mount Wakakusa. Tourists can openly photograph the deer, which are natural monuments of Japan, as they graze on the hillside.

To enter the Wakakusayama, visitors can go through the southern or northern gates.

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Kasugataisha Shrine

Kasugataisha Shrine is one of the most celebrated Shinto shrines in Nara. The shrine displays the most bronze and stone lanterns (more than 3,000!) of any shrine in Japan and surely will not leave tourists disappointed!

The shrine originated after a god from Kashima (Ibaraki prefecture) was enshrined and placed into Mount Kasuga, known as a holy mountain since ancient times. The shrine was constructed in 768 and now hosts more than 2,200 festivals each year. Events at Kasugataisha include Shinto services in the mornings and evenings and the popular Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri festival on December 17. During festivals in early February and mid-August, the lanterns at Kasugataisha are lit and visitors can enjoy photographing the flickering candlelight against a sunset or night sky.

Camera-carrying tourists should stroll through Kasugataisha Shrine Man’yo Botanical Garden, famous for its display of more than 300 plant species and wisteria flowers which bloom from late April to early May.

Kasugataisha Museum also is a popular attraction in Nara Park. The museum displays ancient relics and artifacts of religious and cultural significance.

Todaiji Temple

The most impressive statue in Todaiji Temple is the 15-meter-tall Great Buddha, which is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Buddha, known as “Daibutsu” in Japanese, has an official name, “Rusha-Na-Butsu” (Vairocana Buddha), and its height is said to be 10 times taller than Shakamuni, the Historical Buddha. According to records, 2.6 million people – about half of Japan’s population during the Nara period – were employed to construct the Daibutsu to pray for peace and happiness of all people. The Great Buddha was then placed in the temple as a symbol of an unending universe. The Daibutsu, one the largest bronze Buddha statues in Japan, is greeted by many locals and international tourists throughout the year.

There is a special viewing window where visitors can see the Buddha’s face outside of the Main Hall, but it only opens on January 1 (from midnight to 8 a.m.), during certain periods in mid-February, on August 13 to 14 (from 7 to 9 p.m.) and on August 15 (from 7 to 10 p.m.).

Todaiji is accessed through its Great South Gate, or Nandaimon Gate, one of the largest temple entrance gates in Japan and another Instagram-worthy photo spot. The gate is protected by a pair of muscular statue guardians named Kongo Rikishi Zou, and the statues, along with the gate, are listed as National Treasures of Japan.

Ukimido Pavilion

Visitors can get a gorgeous wide shot of Ukimido Pavilion, which appears to float on Sagiike (Sagichi) Pond in Nara Park. The unique structure generally is surrounded by mists in the morning and reflects on the lake at sunset, making it more enchanting during those hours. Sika deer that roam the area always provide a good backdrop, and after the sun goes down, Ukimido Pavilion is illuminated, as are other areas in Nara Park.

While Ukimido Pavilion is beautiful any time of the year, a great time to tour the grounds is during the fireworks show of the winter Yamayaki. The celebration occurs annually on the fourth Saturday in January and features a giant fire on Mount Wakakusa.

Highlights of Nara Prefecture | Hasedera Temple

Located near the top of Mount Hatsuse in Sakurai, Hasedera Temple is famous for its year-round lush vegetation; though, it is particularly stunning during red leaves season. Throughout the year, the temple is known for its beautiful flowers, earning it the nickname the “temple of flowers.” As one of the temples of the Kannon Pilgrimage, the temple’s main Buddha, a 10-meter tall wooden Kannon statue, is worshipped by many pilgrims.

The most symbolic place at Hasedera Temple is the 399 steps, called “Noborirou,” that lead up to The Main Hall. The Main hall offers outstanding views and allows visitors to gaze over the temple precinct. From this vantage point, photographers get a panoramic view of the area and a clear shot of the historic five-story pagoda that sits below The Main Hall.

The best photo opportunity at the temple is during Hasedera Kannon Mantoe, a festival that takes place from December 31 to January 3 every year, when Noborirou and the Main Building are lined with glowing lanterns.

To reach Hasedera Temple from Nara, travelers can board a train at Kintetsu-Nara Station and travel to Sakurai Station. From Sakurai Station, passengers need to change to the Kintetsu-Osaka Line Semi-Express, which goes to Hasedera Station. The trip takes about an hour.

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Highlights of Nara Prefecture | Mount Yoshino (Yoshinoyama)

Mount Yoshino is known as one of the most popular photography sites in Japan during cherry blossom season. During this time, more than 30,000 cherry blossom trees blanket the mountain. The pink and white blooms can be admired from about late-March until the end of April.

Mount Yoshino is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range,” which encompasses Mount Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan and Koyasan, where Shugendo practices originated. Many pilgrims visit the region for religious training that includes walking along the ridges of the precipitous mountains in the area.

Visitors who stay on Mount Yoshino past dark during cherry blossom season and the autumn leaf color-changing season can enjoy illuminated views of the area.

While cherry blossom season is the most popular time of year to visit Mount Yoshino, tourists won’t be disappointed any other time. Depending on the climate and season, night views of the “sea of clouds” that rise up around the mountain can feel other-worldly. Some photographers show up at 3 a.m. to capture the natural phenomenon, but views can be just as spectacular before 10 p.m. Watch as clouds rise up the mountainside and glow from the city lights underneath. Many photographers say the night view of Mount Yoshino tops the day view, but all visitors should experience both to find out!

Saigyo-an, located deep inside Mount Yoshino, is good to visit for an Instagram-worthy shot during the autumn leaf period. The living quarters of the famous poet and priest are quite modest. Saigyo spent three years on the mountain composing songs and reciting Buddhist sutras in nature.

Non-hiking visitors can take a cable car, located near Yoshino Station, to the first viewpoint on the mountain, and adventurous travelers who appreciate a good trek can hike up Mount Yoshino in about three hours. Several stopping points along the trail allow for scenic views and tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, like Kinpusen-ji Temple, Yoshimizu-jinja and Yoshino Mikumari-jinja.

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