"Histroric Nara"

Nara city has many historic streets, the city boasts numerous important old temples. These include the magnificent seventh-century Kofuku-ji Temple, perhaps the best known of the Seven Great Temples of Nara; and the splendid eighth-century Todai-ji (Great East Temple), famous for its huge bronze statue of the Great Buddha

(Daibutsu), cast here in AD 749. Also of interest in Todai-ji are its Great South Gate (Nandaimon). This spectacular two-story structure is borne on 18 columns, with two Nio statues standing eight meters tall, and it guards the temple entrance. Also of note here is the Hall of the Great Buddha, the world's largest timber building.

Food in Histroric Nara

1. Narazuke

Narazuke is the name for the traditional pickles that originated in Nara during the 8th century. Made from vegetables like uri gourd, young watermelon, daikon radish, and cucumber pickled in the sake lees left over from the sake making process, narazuke have a deep brown color and a pungent flavor mingled with the aroma of sake. In the days before modern refrigeration, fermenting and pickling were essential techniques for food preservation and these pickles were considered a great luxury. Today, they’re a staple food item that accompanies meals eaten throughout Nara.

2. Asuka Nabe

Asuka nabe is a hot pot dish of chicken, tofu, and vegetables cooked in milk and chicken broth with white miso paste. It’s based on a dish made with goat’s milk that was introduced by Buddhist monks during the Asuka period, before the capital city was established in Nara in the 700s. The Asuka region was located just 25 kilometers south of Heijo-kyo, so the dish became a popular food in Nara as well. 

3. Chagayu

Chagayu is a traditional breakfast food from Nara that’s made by boiling rice in roasted green tea with salt until it becomes a soupy porridge. The dish was originally enjoyed by monks at Nara’s Todai-ji temple as part of the Omizutori festival, but eventually became a common food enjoyed by locals throughout the region. Chagayu can be eaten hot or cold, and the roasted aroma of the green tea gives this wholesome dish a complex, but highly satisfying flavor.

4. Kakinoha-zushi

Kakinoha-zushi is a type of sushi that’s native to Nara, which was invented around the Edo period. Unlike Edo-style sushi which was made with fresh fish from Tokyo Bay, sushi from Nara used mackerel fish preserved in salt as the prefecture shares no borders with the sea and it was difficult to enjoy fresh fish away from the coast. The preserved fish was stored together with rice to keep the flavor from becoming too salty and wrapped in persimmon leaves, which is said to have antibacterial properties. Today, preserved sushi wrapped in an individual persimmon leaf is another meibutsu product that’s sold as a popular souvenir in Nara.