JAPAN HOSTEL GUESTHOUSE AND RYOKAN ONLINE BOOKING INFORMATION

The deer symbol of the city Nara is and becomes into 710 the first fixed capital of Japan (at the time the state of Yamato). The city names then Heijô-kyô. It will quickly become one of the most beautiful towns of Asia. The capital is built according to a checkerboard plan of Chinese inspiration of approximately 4,3 km of broad 4,8 km length. Its population believes to reach the 100.000 inhabitants. In 784 the capital is transferred Nagaoka, the city loses its gloss then. In 794 it is famous Nanto. The city will suffer particularly from the pangs of the civil war. In 1180 the clan of Taira set fire to the city. This one was almost entirely destroyed even Daibutsu-den was not saved. Main efforts of rebuilding were made at the end of the civil war in order to give again at the city its last gloss.

The ryokans Tôdai-ji and Kôfuku-ji were then rebuilt. Nara was not long in becoming in the shade of Kyoto the new capital, the second city of the country. In 1560 the city is under the influence of the warrior Hisahide Matsunaga. This one will establish its cheap accomodation on the Mikenji-yama mount. The war will then touch again the city in 1567 at the time of a war opposing the clans Hisahide and Miyoshi. During the Edo period, Nara was directed by an administrator shogunal. At the end of XVIIéme century, the city had 35.000 inhabitants. The city was then known for its production of helmet, ink and range. Under the Meiji era at the same time as Buddhism lost of its Nara influence lost of its capacity. Its safety came from final creation in 1887 of the prefecture of Nara with Nara as place chief. Nara, whose several monuments are since 1998 registered voters with the world inheritance of UNESCO, shelters today a population of 367,180 inhabitants in October 2002.

Nara is located near the towns of Kyoto and Kobe in the center is principal island of Honshu. The city covers a surface of 211.60 km2. Its climax is with 678,4 meters. The city is located at the north of the prefecture éponyme, with the limit of the prefecture of Kyoto. Economy The local economy is primarily turned towards the tertiary sector (services and tourism) the primary sector being since the years 1980 in full regression. Transport Nara is HOW TOible by road, trains and plane. On the spot the city has an important network of bus which will enable you to move easily.

By plane: The airport nearest is the airport of Itami of Osaka. Airport Itami to take the Bus of the airport to arrive at Kintetsu Uehommachi. From there take the line Kaisoku kyuko for Kintetsu Nara.Le way lasts approximately 1 hour. You can also arrive by the international airport of Kansai.

30 Japanese tourists hurt during making of animated Yon-sama drama

Thirty Japanese women were injured in an accident Friday while watching the making of an animated drama starring South Korean heartthrob Bae Yong Joon, according to the Japanese Embassy and South Korean police and firefighters. While most of the 30 women had only light injuries, one sustained a serious injury to her face, the Japanese Embassy said. The women were in their 30s to 70s. Three South Korean men were also hurt in the accident. According to Yonhap News Agency, high winds during the event at an outdoor set in a resort area of Gangwon Province in northeastern South Korea caused part of the set to fall down. (AP)

Marten killed ibises in Sado / Security camera footage, tracks point to weasel-like animal as culprit

The Environment Ministry announced Thursday that a marten killed nine of 11 Japanese crested ibis that were being prepared to return to the wild in a cage in Sado, Niigata Prefecture. The ministry said it found the small carnivore's tracks inside the birds' cage at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center on Sado Island. The 11 ibises were being kept in the large pen in preparation for their release into the wild in autumn. (Yomiuri)

70 immigration detainees on hunger strike

At least 70 detainees at the West Japan Immigration Control Center, which has long been criticized by human rights groups and Diet members, have been on a hunger strike since Monday, center officials and volunteers helping them confirmed Thursday. "Around 70 foreigners began a hunger strike Monday night because they want to be released on a temporary basis," Norifumi Kishida, an official at the center, said Thursday morning. (Japan Times)

Luck of the Irish to parade across country

Celebrations for Ireland's most famous holiday are gaining in popularity worldwide, and Japan is no exception. St. Patrick, who helped spread Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, is the country's patron saint. Legend has it that he died on March 17, so the Irish celebrate the day by wearing green, symbolizing the shamrock. In Japan, people have enjoyed the St. Patrick's Day parade since 1992. As an international cultural exchange event, it has become more popular, with recent years seeing around 1,000 participants and 50,000 spectators taking part in Omotesando, Tokyo. This year's parade is on March 14 and starts from Omotesando Hills; it runs from 2 p.m. till 4 p.m. (Japan Times)

Bullying flap shakes Japan's royals

When an official at the Imperial Household Agency suddenly announced last week that 8-year-old Princess Aiko was refusing to go to school because of bullying, he did more than just disclose a mundane problem facing a member of Japan's ancient and secretive monarchy. He also added a new twist to one of the most riveting but mysterious dramas in Japan, the seven-year depression and seclusion of Aiko's mother, Crown Princess Masako, the Harvard-trained former diplomat. Aiko is the only child of Princess Masako and her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, and is widely known to be one of the few sources of joy for the troubled crown princess. (New York Times)

Japanese Coast Guard arrests anti-whaling skipper

The Japanese Coast Guard on Friday arrested an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand who had boarded a whaling ship in the southern Antarctic last month. Peter Bethune, a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was brought back to Tokyo by the whaling ship, the Shonan Maru 2, after he boarded it without permission on Feb. 15. Coast Guard officials were waiting for him at the docks in Tokyo, along with a throng of Japanese reporters and television crews. (New York Times)

Strong winds, snow wreak havoc; 140 hurt

Strong winds and snow battered the Pacific side of the nation Tuesday and Wednesday, wreaking havoc with road, rail and air routes and leaving thousands of homes without power. According to the Tokyo Fire Department, 26 people were taken to hospitals in Tokyo with fall injuries between Tuesday evening, when it began snowing, and 6 a.m. Wednesday. Ten people in Yokohama suffered fall and other injuries, and 46 people in Saitama Prefecture either fell or were involved in skidding accidents. The hazardous weather also brought chaos to the nation's transport network. (Yomiuri)

'Dr. Yellow' train keeps line safe, elates spotters

A seven-car shinkansen line inspection train runs about once every 10 days between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture, and rail buffs who spot it claim it brings good luck. The train has been nicknamed "Dr. Yellow" because of its color but it is officially called a comprehensive shinkansen test train. The test train that travels the 1,174-km distance between Tokyo and Hakata is popular with rail fans. An urban legend has it happiness comes to those who spot it. Its timetable is not published. Nevertheless, a Web site details the places and times it passes so those interested may figure out when they can see it. A cheering crowd with cameras was on hand when Dr. Yellow pulled into Shin-Osaka Station en route to Hakata in December. All of the coaches' windows are blocked out. Carriages six and seven house large equipment to gauge signals and electricity. A dome in coach five lets inspectors view pantograph connections. (Japan Times)

Ibaraki Airport opens with only 1 regular daily flight to Seoul

Ibaraki Airport opened Thursday as the third airport in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with a daily flight to and from Seoul by South Korea's Asiana Airlines serving as the only regular flight at the initial stage. Although domestic budget carrier Skymark Airlines is scheduled to start a daily roundtrip flight between Ibaraki and Kobe from April 16, the need for the 22-billion-yen airport has been called into question as it serves only 600 people a day for the time being, even if both the Asiana and Skymark flights are operated at full capacity. (AP)

65 years after the war, Japan needs convincing of the need for US bases

On a humid March evening in Okinawa young American men with crewcuts and thick necks sprawl out from the bars and lap-dancing clubs that cluster near US military bases across the island. "Marijuana - it's like alcohol, but . . ." reads one T-shirt. A young white man weaves his Honda Saloon at speed through cars heading for a junction. "We all pull clear," one Japanese driver says. "There are so many accidents." The US has slapped tough rules on the 22,000 Marines and 24,000 other personnel on its vast bases on Okinawa, the southernmost island of Japan, after the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three servicemen in 1995 brought tens of thousands of people on to the streets in protest. (Times Online)

Japanese gaming to profit from child subsidies

Japan's gambling industry is expected to be an unlikely beneficiary of a national child subsidy scheme, which aims to shower parents with cash and encourage young couples to start families. Pachinko parlours - the cacophonous pinball arcades that claim about 23 trillion yen in illegal gambling revenues every year - are expected to perform especially well. The monthly family benefit payments are perfectly suited to fuel a couple of hours' play. (Times Online)

Sushi chef charged with serving illegal whale

Federal prosecutors filed charges Wednesday against a sushi chef and a Santa Monica restaurant on allegations that they served illegal and endangered whale meat. Typhoon Restaurant Inc., which owns The Hump restaurant, and sushi chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, were charged with illegally selling an endangered species product, a misdemeanor. According to a search warrant, marine mammal activists were served whale during three separate visits to the restaurant. Federal labs confirmed the meat came from a Sei whale, an endangered species protected by international treaties, documents said. (AP)

Japan's spouse hunters hone skills at marriage school

In search of Mr. or Mrs. Right, dozens of Japanese are attending a newly launched school in Tokyo that aims turn them into marriage material. The Infini school offers various classes for wannabe brides and grooms at a time when many people in Japan are either shunning the institution of marriage or are finding it very difficult to hook up with a partner. The school, which is open to men and women, teaches students how to talk, walk and present themselves elegantly in a bid to capture the hearts and minds of prospective partners and their parents, who are often a major obstacle to successful unions. (Reuters)

Sumo: Asashoryu denies alleged drunken rampage, undecided on future

Former Mongolian-born grand champion Asashoryu on Thursday refuted reports of an alleged drunken rampage that preceded his retirement from sumo. "I didn't commit any violent act," Asashoryu said at a press conference in Ulan Bator, referring to Japanese magazine reports in January that said he became extremely drunk before striking and seriously injuring a man outside a nightclub in Tokyo in the early hours of Jan. 16. On rumors that he will go into mixed martial arts, Asashoryu said, "I haven't really thought about what to do next. I don't regret my decision to quit sumo, though." (AP)

Trucker busted with 260 stolen undies

Kenichi Ikeda of the city of Nagasaki has carried around three bags and a secret he could not tell his family at home - inside the bags were hundreds of women's undergarments that he had stolen over 10 years, police said. Police arrested the 36-year-old truck driver, who allegedly had stolen about 260 pairs of women's underwear and kept them in bags behind the driver's seat of his truck. "I couldn't leave them home because I have a wife and children," Ikeda was quoted as saying by police. (Japan Times)

Chrysanthemum or Samurai?

In a thoughtful essay in today's Financial Times, Gideon Rachman asks whether Japan may now be tilting towards China after 60 years of aligning itself with the United States. This question is interesting on multiple dimensions -- including with regard to the future of U.S. primacy in Asia, the impact of China's rise on its neighbors, the nature of Japanese politics and identity, and our understanding of the deep structure of international relations at a time of systemic power shifts. Indeed, Japan is a critical case study for assessing how the developed world will respond to the rise of dynamic new power centers in Asia -- and what the implications will be for American leadership in the international system. (foreignpolicy.com)

Citigroup sells Japan ski resort to Malaysia's YTL

Citigroup Inc (C.N) has sold one of Japan's most famous ski resorts, Niseko Village, to Malaysia's YTL Corp (YTLS.KL), with the property and power conglomerate seeking to develop it into a world class summer and winter destination. Niseko Village, sold for 6 billion yen ($67 million), is popular with Chinese and Australian skiers and a mecca for domestic snowboarders due to its quality powder snow. (Reuters)

Cherry blossoms come out in Kochi, earliest on Japan's main islands

Signs of the full-blown spring season were observed in Japan when cherry blossoms bloomed Wednesday in the western city of Kochi, coming out the earliest in any location other than Okinawa and nearby southern islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The "someiyoshino" cherry blossoms in Kochi came out six days earlier than the previous year and tied the record for the earliest blooming on Japan's main islands, which was registered three times in the past -- in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1955 and 1973 and in Wakayama Prefecture in 1959. (AP)

Pet shop manager caught stealing penguin from Japanese zoo

A security guard at the Nagasaki Bio Park noticed Akira Honda, 24, ushering the Humboldt Penguin into his suitcase in January. According to the zoo, the penguin is worth about Y400,000. Mr Honda told police that he had run up debts which he intended to pay off by selling the creature to a collector. Humboldt Penguins are native to South America and grow to around 27 inches tall and up to 13lb in weight. They are currently listed as vulnerable, due largely to the destruction of their habitats, and an estimated 12,000 survive in the wild. (telegraph.co.uk)

Movie director Kitano awarded France's top cultural honor

Japanese film director Takeshi Kitano has been named by France for the title of Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters in recognition of his achievements, France's ministry of culture said Tuesday. Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand will bestow France's highest honor for artists on Kitano later in the day, the ministry said. To commemorate the honor, the films of the 63-year-old will be screened at the Centre Pompidou, a contemporary art museum in Paris, for three months from Thursday and artwork by Kitano will be displayed at another museum in the city from the same day. (AP)

No. of foreigners overstaying visas in Japan lowest in 21 years

The number of foreign nationals staying in Japan after their visas expired was down 18.8 percent from a year before to 91,778 as of Jan. 1, 2010, slipping below 100,000 for the first time in 21 years, a Justice Ministry survey showed Tuesday. The number of people overstaying their visas has been falling after peaking at around 300,000 in 1993. An official at the ministry's Immigration Bureau said the introduction two years ago of a biometric system using fingerprints to verify identity contributed to the downtrend. (AP)

Sumo: Schoolboy tipped to crush opponents

A 15-year-old Japanese schoolboy tipping the scales at 145 kilograms is set to make his professional sumo debut and is already being tipped as a future 'yokozuna'. National junior high school champion Ryoya Tatsu stands 1.93 metres tall and is expected to take part in the Osaka grand sumo tournament beginning this weekend. The Japan Sumo Association said Tatsu had passed his first health check and was waiting for the results of internal tests to determine if he could wrestle in Osaka. (ABC News)

Japan-U.S. secret pacts confirmed, gov't policy shift expected

A Foreign Ministry panel concluded Tuesday that secret pacts on nuclear arms and other issues were reached between Japan and the United States in the Cold War era, leading the Japanese government to end its decades-long official denial of their existence. While such pacts have already been exposed through U.S. declassified documents and other sources, the panel investigation, launched following the historic change of government last year, made clear that previous governments were "dishonest" over the issue and raised questions over the management and disclosure of diplomatic documents. (AP)

The Gardens of Japan: earthly paradise

Kyoto was once the imperial capital of Japan, and it is here that many of the country's finest gardens are to be found. 'Throw nothing away' must always have been the motto of Japanese garden designers, for old and new co-exist in the country's gardens, which have much to tell us about the history of Japan. The oldest surviving gardens belong to the Heian era (794-1185), and they are known in Japanese as chisen shuyu teien, or 'pond-spring-boating-gardens'. The pond was at the heart both of the garden and of the wonderfully leisured, light-hearted and sensuous lifestyle of the aristocracy. The chisen shuyu teien garden was designed to be seen from the water, and the boating parties that took place in it were highly theatrical affairs. Guests drifted about in beautifully carved and painted boats to the accompaniment of music played by an orchestra that floated in the pond on a boat of its own. (telegraph.co.uk)

Japan's pet food sector: Growing sales volume despite waning ad spend

Dogs come to resemble their owners, or so the saying goes. In Japan, the human population is greying, with a record 29 million of the island nation's 128 million citizens now over the age of 65, and with a life expectancy of 86.1 for females and 79.3 for males. Likewise, more than half of Japan's dog and cats are older than seven years, and roughly 30 per cent are past the 10-year mark. Here the mimicry ends, however. While the number of Japanese began dwindling in the mid-naughts, the number of pets has swollen. Last year, Japan had 13.6 million dogs and 11.3 million cats, a nine and 29 per cent increase respectively on 2004, according to the Japan Pet Food Association. (media.asia)

you will have to travel by the train Kansai-kuko then Yamatoji to station JR of Nara. By train: De Kyoto to return to you to station JR of Nara you can take the line of train JR Nara. You can also take the line Kintetsu Kyoto which arrives at the station Kintetsu Nara. Station of Kintetsu Namba Osaka to take the Kaisoku-kyuko train to arrive at the station Kintetsu Nara. The subway: Nara does not have subway.

Bus: An important network of Bus furrows the city making it possible to compensate for the absence of subway. The point of information for the bus is located opposite station JR of Nara. Another point of information is located at the station of Kintetsu Nara. There is a line of bus especially conceived for the visitors who will make known to you all the great tourist centers of Nara. Four routes were set up from station JR of Nara. To locate itself Nara not having subway, we advise you to make your displacements with foot. You can well on travelling by the bus but why not benefit from this pleasant city differently and simply. The city built according to a checkerboard plan makes it possible to easily circulate without fear to lose itself. Moreover the majority of the major tourist places are collected around stations JR of Nara and Kintetsu.

Shinto rites of purity decreed that with the death of an emperor, the capital must be relocated. It was around Nara that all of Japan's orignal capitals were established between the third and eighth centuries. From 710 Nara was made the 'permanent capital', a permanence that lasted, however, for only 84 years before the capital was moved to what was then called Heiankyo, now Kyoto.

Elegant testiments to Nara's ancient status remain mainly in the form of ryokans, and, of course, the rites and festivities that they have been the focus of for over a thousand years.

Nara Park is notable for the hundreds of tame deer it is home to. Rice crackers (sembei) are on sale at 150 yen to feed them: a favorite photo opportunity.

Todaiji ryokan (a World Heritage Site) is a complex of buildings that includes the world's largest wooden structure, the 48m (157 foot)-high Daibutsu-den, built in 743 and which houses the 15m (49 foot) gilt bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha), cast in 749: also the largest of its kind in the world.

Over 9000 of Todaiji's priceless cultural treasures are on display in another of its many buildings, the Shoso-in Hall which is, architecturally, a treasure in its own right.

The famous five-story pagoda (go-juu-no-toh) located inside Nara Park is the most famous relic of the almost 180 buildings that once made up Kofukuji ryokan: a ryokan founded originally in Kyoto by the ancient and powerful Fujiwara clan, and later moved to Nara when the city became the capital in 710A.D.

Also inside Nara Park is the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, one of Japan's most prominent Shinto shrines originally built, like Kofukuji ryokan - but 99 years later in 768, by the Fujiwara family. However, like the Great Shrine at Ise, Kasuga Taisha Shrine is destroyed and rebuilt every 20 years in accordance with the purity precepts of the Shinto religion.

Gangoji ryokan, originally known as Hokoji ryokan, is said to be Japan's first true Buddhist ryokan. Its establishment was of such significance that the King of Paekche in Korea sent artisans to help with its construction - which took place in the then capital of nearby Asuka. It was moved to Nara when the city became capital and the original ryokan is now split into two: a 'Gangoji' in the city's Chuin-cho area, and another 'Gangoji' in the Shibanoshin-ya-cho area. The Chuin-cho Gangoji is a World Heritage site and is notable for its Hondo (main hall) and Zenshitsu (zen room).

Like Gangoji ryokan, Yakushuji ryokan was also built in Asuka and later moved to Nara. It is notable for its pituresque restored East Tower (Toh-toh), which is the only remaining original building of this ryokan. However, work over recent decades has restored Yakushiji to a state befitting this head ryokan of the small "Consciousness-Only" Hosso sect of Buddhism.

There is much to see in the countryside surrounding Nara including the cherry blossoms at Yoshino and the sacred pilgrimage site of Mt. Omine. Also of interest are the ruins at Asukamura.

Nara is a superb city harmonizes some with the environment and having preserved its cultural identities. Not to be delayed in this history and bosky bower would be an error. In Nara figure it is more than 36 ryokans, 16 sanctuaries, 417 parks of all sizes, 2 amusement parks, 20 city information / tipss, 2 halls of exposure and 8 goods registered to the world inheritance of UNESCO! To stroll in the streets of Nara is a sheer delight especially in the typical lanes of the district of Naramachi located at the south of the Kofuku-ji ryokan and the lake Sarusaw.

Neiraku Bijutsukan: Located not far from the Todai-ji ryokan and of one putting back garden, this city information / tips offers to the sight of the visitors an interesting Japanese bronze and Asian ceramics collection. Yamato Bunkakan: is a gathering city information / tips of the objets d'art eclectic but a great quality. Painting, folding screen, drawing are well represented there.

Address: 1-11-6 Minami, Gakuen. Kokuô Kan: is a city information / tips gathering an interesting collection of Buddhist statues. Nara-shi Shashin Bijutsukan: city information / tips of the photography which is devoted almost to Taikichi Irie. National city information / tips of Nara. This city information / tips with atypical architecture gathers archaeological collections of works as well as traditional penmanships, paintings (e-makimono) and sculptures. Address: 150 Noborioji-cho.

More city information / tipss. As an indication, here the other city information / tipss which you can visit in Nara. - city information / tipss of the center of Nara city information / tips of the prefecture of Nara. Address: 10-6 Noborioji. - city information / tips Toki-No-shiryo-kan.

Address: 28 Nishinoshinya-cho. - city information / tips Naramachi Siryo-kan. Address: 14 Nishinoshinya-cho. - Historical city information / tips of the town of Nara of the habitat.

Address: 1-1 Wakido-cyo. - Kokuhoukan city information / tips. Address: 48 Noborioji-cho. - city information / tips of the Penmanship of the town of Nara in the honor of Kason Sugioka.

Address: 3, wakido-cho. - Nara Kraft city information / tips. Address: 1-1 Azemame-cho. - Neiraku city information / tips. Address: 174 Mima-cho. - Nara park city information / tips. Address: 1469 Zoshi-cho. - Nara City city information / tips of Photography. Address: 1600-1 Takabatake-cho. - Houmotsu-den city information / tips of the sanctuaireKasuga Taisha.

Address: 1160 Kasugano-cho - city information / tipss of the west of Nara The city information / tips of Art Shohaku. Address: 2-1-4 Tomigaoka. - The city information / tips of Art Nakano Art city information / tips.

Address: 9-946-2 Minami, Ayameike. - city information / tipss of the western north of Nara city information / tips of the road of the silk of Nara. Address: 3-5-15 Minami, Nijooji. - city information / tipss of the western south of Nara Sugawara city information / tips.

Address: 403-2 Yokoryo-cho. - The city information / tipss of the nard is of Nara The residence of the former lord and chief of clan of Yagyu. Address: 155-1 Yagyu-cho.

Tourist information center in JR Nara Station: 0742-22-9821; Kintetsu Nara Station: 0742-24-4858. Nara City hotel ist Association (on Sanjo Dori): 0742-22-3900. Goodwill books are available free of charge: Nara S.G.G. Ryokan (0742-22-5595, English, French, German, Chinese, and Thai); Nara YMCA (0742-45-5920, English) Nara Student book (0742-26-4753, English)

International credit ryokand ATMs

Along Sanjo Dori, the narrow shopping street that runs from JR Nara Station to Nara Park, there are several banks that will change money and have ATMs that can be HOW TOed with credit ryokands issued overseas:

-Nara Bank: Diners Ryokan, MasterCard, Visa, AmEx, JCB; 8:45am-7pm, 9am-5pm weekends (closed Jan 1st - 3rd).

-Mizuho Bank Diners Ryokan, MasterCard, Visa/Mastercard, AmEx; 8:45am-7pm, 9am-5pm weekends (closed Jan 1st - 3rd).

-Sumitomo-Mitsui Bank: Diners Ryokan, MasterCard, Visa/Mastercard, AmEx; 8am-9pm (closed Jan 1st - 3rd).

HOW TO

Air

Airport limousine services to Kansai International Airport or JR train and change at Tennoji Station in Osaka.

Rail

HOW TO to Osaka on JR West (about 45 minutes on the express) or Kintetsu Line from Namba and Tsuruhashi. HOW TO to Kyoto on either Kintetsu Railways (35 minutes on the Super Express Tokyo) or JR West (40 minutes on the Miyakojima Express).

NARA	Find cheap hotel in Ibaraki
Tokyo Kyoto Fukuoka Hakone Himeji Hiroshima IHostelaki Kamakura Kobe Nagasaki Nagoya Nara Niigata Nikko Oita Okinawa Osaka Saitama Sakurajima Sapporo Sendai Shizuoka Shodoshima Tsukuba Yokohama	Nara Hostels, Guesthouses, Ryokans in Nara population: 360,000. Japan's ancient capital is a must-see and an easy day trip from Kyoto or Osaka. recognised birthplace of Japanese civilization. History The deer symbol of the city Nara is and becomes into 710 the first fixed capital of Japan (at the time the state of Yamato). The city names then Heijô-kyô. It will quickly become one of the most beautiful towns of Asia. The capital is built according to a checkerboard plan of Chinese inspiration of approximately 4,3 km of broad 4,8 km length. Its population believes to reach the 100.000 inhabitants. In 784 the capital is transferred Nagaoka, the city loses its gloss then. In 794 it is famous Nanto. The city will suffer particularly from the pangs of the civil war. In 1180 the clan of Taira set fire to the city. This one was almost entirely destroyed even Daibutsu-den was not saved. Main efforts of rebuilding were made at the end of the civil war in order to give again at the city its last gloss. The ryokans Tôdai-ji and Kôfuku-ji were then rebuilt. Nara was not long in becoming in the shade of Kyoto the new capital, the second city of the country. In 1560 the city is under the influence of the warrior Hisahide Matsunaga. This one will establish its cheap accomodation on the Mikenji-yama mount. The war will then touch again the city in 1567 at the time of a war opposing the clans Hisahide and Miyoshi. During the Edo period, Nara was directed by an administrator shogunal. At the end of XVIIéme century, the city had 35.000 inhabitants. The city was then known for its production of helmet, ink and range. Under the Meiji era at the same time as Buddhism lost of its Nara influence lost of its capacity. Its safety came from final creation in 1887 of the prefecture of Nara with Nara as place chief. Nara, whose several monuments are since 1998 registered voters with the world inheritance of UNESCO, shelters today a population of 367,180 inhabitants in October 2002. Climate and Geography Nara is located near the towns of Kyoto and Kobe in the center is principal island of Honshu. The city covers a surface of 211.60 km2. Its climax is with 678,4 meters. The city is located at the north of the prefecture éponyme, with the limit of the prefecture of Kyoto. Economy The local economy is primarily turned towards the tertiary sector (services and tourism) the primary sector being since the years 1980 in full regression. Transport Nara is HOW TOible by road, trains and plane. On the spot the city has an important network of bus which will enable you to move easily. By plane: The airport nearest is the airport of Itami of Osaka. Airport Itami to take the Bus of the airport to arrive at Kintetsu Uehommachi. From there take the line Kaisoku kyuko for Kintetsu Nara.Le way lasts approximately 1 hour. You can also arrive by the international airport of Kansai. LATEST NEWS LATEST NEWS 30 Japanese tourists hurt during making of animated Yon-sama drama Thirty Japanese women were injured in an accident Friday while watching the making of an animated drama starring South Korean heartthrob Bae Yong Joon, according to the Japanese Embassy and South Korean police and firefighters. While most of the 30 women had only light injuries, one sustained a serious injury to her face, the Japanese Embassy said. The women were in their 30s to 70s. Three South Korean men were also hurt in the accident. According to Yonhap News Agency, high winds during the event at an outdoor set in a resort area of Gangwon Province in northeastern South Korea caused part of the set to fall down. (AP) Marten killed ibises in Sado / Security camera footage, tracks point to weasel-like animal as culprit The Environment Ministry announced Thursday that a marten killed nine of 11 Japanese crested ibis that were being prepared to return to the wild in a cage in Sado, Niigata Prefecture. The ministry said it found the small carnivore's tracks inside the birds' cage at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center on Sado Island. The 11 ibises were being kept in the large pen in preparation for their release into the wild in autumn. (Yomiuri) 70 immigration detainees on hunger strike At least 70 detainees at the West Japan Immigration Control Center, which has long been criticized by human rights groups and Diet members, have been on a hunger strike since Monday, center officials and volunteers helping them confirmed Thursday. "Around 70 foreigners began a hunger strike Monday night because they want to be released on a temporary basis," Norifumi Kishida, an official at the center, said Thursday morning. (Japan Times) Luck of the Irish to parade across country Celebrations for Ireland's most famous holiday are gaining in popularity worldwide, and Japan is no exception. St. Patrick, who helped spread Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, is the country's patron saint. Legend has it that he died on March 17, so the Irish celebrate the day by wearing green, symbolizing the shamrock. In Japan, people have enjoyed the St. Patrick's Day parade since 1992. As an international cultural exchange event, it has become more popular, with recent years seeing around 1,000 participants and 50,000 spectators taking part in Omotesando, Tokyo. This year's parade is on March 14 and starts from Omotesando Hills; it runs from 2 p.m. till 4 p.m. (Japan Times) Bullying flap shakes Japan's royals When an official at the Imperial Household Agency suddenly announced last week that 8-year-old Princess Aiko was refusing to go to school because of bullying, he did more than just disclose a mundane problem facing a member of Japan's ancient and secretive monarchy. He also added a new twist to one of the most riveting but mysterious dramas in Japan, the seven-year depression and seclusion of Aiko's mother, Crown Princess Masako, the Harvard-trained former diplomat. Aiko is the only child of Princess Masako and her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, and is widely known to be one of the few sources of joy for the troubled crown princess. (New York Times) Japanese Coast Guard arrests anti-whaling skipper The Japanese Coast Guard on Friday arrested an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand who had boarded a whaling ship in the southern Antarctic last month. Peter Bethune, a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was brought back to Tokyo by the whaling ship, the Shonan Maru 2, after he boarded it without permission on Feb. 15. Coast Guard officials were waiting for him at the docks in Tokyo, along with a throng of Japanese reporters and television crews. (New York Times) Strong winds, snow wreak havoc; 140 hurt Strong winds and snow battered the Pacific side of the nation Tuesday and Wednesday, wreaking havoc with road, rail and air routes and leaving thousands of homes without power. According to the Tokyo Fire Department, 26 people were taken to hospitals in Tokyo with fall injuries between Tuesday evening, when it began snowing, and 6 a.m. Wednesday. Ten people in Yokohama suffered fall and other injuries, and 46 people in Saitama Prefecture either fell or were involved in skidding accidents. The hazardous weather also brought chaos to the nation's transport network. (Yomiuri) 'Dr. Yellow' train keeps line safe, elates spotters A seven-car shinkansen line inspection train runs about once every 10 days between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture, and rail buffs who spot it claim it brings good luck. The train has been nicknamed "Dr. Yellow" because of its color but it is officially called a comprehensive shinkansen test train. The test train that travels the 1,174-km distance between Tokyo and Hakata is popular with rail fans. An urban legend has it happiness comes to those who spot it. Its timetable is not published. Nevertheless, a Web site details the places and times it passes so those interested may figure out when they can see it. A cheering crowd with cameras was on hand when Dr. Yellow pulled into Shin-Osaka Station en route to Hakata in December. All of the coaches' windows are blocked out. Carriages six and seven house large equipment to gauge signals and electricity. A dome in coach five lets inspectors view pantograph connections. (Japan Times) Ibaraki Airport opens with only 1 regular daily flight to Seoul Ibaraki Airport opened Thursday as the third airport in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with a daily flight to and from Seoul by South Korea's Asiana Airlines serving as the only regular flight at the initial stage. Although domestic budget carrier Skymark Airlines is scheduled to start a daily roundtrip flight between Ibaraki and Kobe from April 16, the need for the 22-billion-yen airport has been called into question as it serves only 600 people a day for the time being, even if both the Asiana and Skymark flights are operated at full capacity. (AP) 65 years after the war, Japan needs convincing of the need for US bases On a humid March evening in Okinawa young American men with crewcuts and thick necks sprawl out from the bars and lap-dancing clubs that cluster near US military bases across the island. "Marijuana - it's like alcohol, but . . ." reads one T-shirt. A young white man weaves his Honda Saloon at speed through cars heading for a junction. "We all pull clear," one Japanese driver says. "There are so many accidents." The US has slapped tough rules on the 22,000 Marines and 24,000 other personnel on its vast bases on Okinawa, the southernmost island of Japan, after the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three servicemen in 1995 brought tens of thousands of people on to the streets in protest. (Times Online) Japanese gaming to profit from child subsidies Japan's gambling industry is expected to be an unlikely beneficiary of a national child subsidy scheme, which aims to shower parents with cash and encourage young couples to start families. Pachinko parlours - the cacophonous pinball arcades that claim about 23 trillion yen in illegal gambling revenues every year - are expected to perform especially well. The monthly family benefit payments are perfectly suited to fuel a couple of hours' play. (Times Online) Sushi chef charged with serving illegal whale Federal prosecutors filed charges Wednesday against a sushi chef and a Santa Monica restaurant on allegations that they served illegal and endangered whale meat. Typhoon Restaurant Inc., which owns The Hump restaurant, and sushi chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, were charged with illegally selling an endangered species product, a misdemeanor. According to a search warrant, marine mammal activists were served whale during three separate visits to the restaurant. Federal labs confirmed the meat came from a Sei whale, an endangered species protected by international treaties, documents said. (AP) Japan's spouse hunters hone skills at marriage school In search of Mr. or Mrs. Right, dozens of Japanese are attending a newly launched school in Tokyo that aims turn them into marriage material. The Infini school offers various classes for wannabe brides and grooms at a time when many people in Japan are either shunning the institution of marriage or are finding it very difficult to hook up with a partner. The school, which is open to men and women, teaches students how to talk, walk and present themselves elegantly in a bid to capture the hearts and minds of prospective partners and their parents, who are often a major obstacle to successful unions. (Reuters) Sumo: Asashoryu denies alleged drunken rampage, undecided on future Former Mongolian-born grand champion Asashoryu on Thursday refuted reports of an alleged drunken rampage that preceded his retirement from sumo. "I didn't commit any violent act," Asashoryu said at a press conference in Ulan Bator, referring to Japanese magazine reports in January that said he became extremely drunk before striking and seriously injuring a man outside a nightclub in Tokyo in the early hours of Jan. 16. On rumors that he will go into mixed martial arts, Asashoryu said, "I haven't really thought about what to do next. I don't regret my decision to quit sumo, though." (AP) Trucker busted with 260 stolen undies Kenichi Ikeda of the city of Nagasaki has carried around three bags and a secret he could not tell his family at home - inside the bags were hundreds of women's undergarments that he had stolen over 10 years, police said. Police arrested the 36-year-old truck driver, who allegedly had stolen about 260 pairs of women's underwear and kept them in bags behind the driver's seat of his truck. "I couldn't leave them home because I have a wife and children," Ikeda was quoted as saying by police. (Japan Times) Chrysanthemum or Samurai? In a thoughtful essay in today's Financial Times, Gideon Rachman asks whether Japan may now be tilting towards China after 60 years of aligning itself with the United States. This question is interesting on multiple dimensions -- including with regard to the future of U.S. primacy in Asia, the impact of China's rise on its neighbors, the nature of Japanese politics and identity, and our understanding of the deep structure of international relations at a time of systemic power shifts. Indeed, Japan is a critical case study for assessing how the developed world will respond to the rise of dynamic new power centers in Asia -- and what the implications will be for American leadership in the international system. (foreignpolicy.com) Citigroup sells Japan ski resort to Malaysia's YTL Citigroup Inc (C.N) has sold one of Japan's most famous ski resorts, Niseko Village, to Malaysia's YTL Corp (YTLS.KL), with the property and power conglomerate seeking to develop it into a world class summer and winter destination. Niseko Village, sold for 6 billion yen ($67 million), is popular with Chinese and Australian skiers and a mecca for domestic snowboarders due to its quality powder snow. (Reuters) Cherry blossoms come out in Kochi, earliest on Japan's main islands Signs of the full-blown spring season were observed in Japan when cherry blossoms bloomed Wednesday in the western city of Kochi, coming out the earliest in any location other than Okinawa and nearby southern islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The "someiyoshino" cherry blossoms in Kochi came out six days earlier than the previous year and tied the record for the earliest blooming on Japan's main islands, which was registered three times in the past -- in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1955 and 1973 and in Wakayama Prefecture in 1959. (AP) Pet shop manager caught stealing penguin from Japanese zoo A security guard at the Nagasaki Bio Park noticed Akira Honda, 24, ushering the Humboldt Penguin into his suitcase in January. According to the zoo, the penguin is worth about Y400,000. Mr Honda told police that he had run up debts which he intended to pay off by selling the creature to a collector. Humboldt Penguins are native to South America and grow to around 27 inches tall and up to 13lb in weight. They are currently listed as vulnerable, due largely to the destruction of their habitats, and an estimated 12,000 survive in the wild. (telegraph.co.uk) Movie director Kitano awarded France's top cultural honor Japanese film director Takeshi Kitano has been named by France for the title of Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters in recognition of his achievements, France's ministry of culture said Tuesday. Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand will bestow France's highest honor for artists on Kitano later in the day, the ministry said. To commemorate the honor, the films of the 63-year-old will be screened at the Centre Pompidou, a contemporary art museum in Paris, for three months from Thursday and artwork by Kitano will be displayed at another museum in the city from the same day. (AP) No. of foreigners overstaying visas in Japan lowest in 21 years The number of foreign nationals staying in Japan after their visas expired was down 18.8 percent from a year before to 91,778 as of Jan. 1, 2010, slipping below 100,000 for the first time in 21 years, a Justice Ministry survey showed Tuesday. The number of people overstaying their visas has been falling after peaking at around 300,000 in 1993. An official at the ministry's Immigration Bureau said the introduction two years ago of a biometric system using fingerprints to verify identity contributed to the downtrend. (AP) Sumo: Schoolboy tipped to crush opponents A 15-year-old Japanese schoolboy tipping the scales at 145 kilograms is set to make his professional sumo debut and is already being tipped as a future 'yokozuna'. National junior high school champion Ryoya Tatsu stands 1.93 metres tall and is expected to take part in the Osaka grand sumo tournament beginning this weekend. The Japan Sumo Association said Tatsu had passed his first health check and was waiting for the results of internal tests to determine if he could wrestle in Osaka. (ABC News) Japan-U.S. secret pacts confirmed, gov't policy shift expected A Foreign Ministry panel concluded Tuesday that secret pacts on nuclear arms and other issues were reached between Japan and the United States in the Cold War era, leading the Japanese government to end its decades-long official denial of their existence. While such pacts have already been exposed through U.S. declassified documents and other sources, the panel investigation, launched following the historic change of government last year, made clear that previous governments were "dishonest" over the issue and raised questions over the management and disclosure of diplomatic documents. (AP) The Gardens of Japan: earthly paradise Kyoto was once the imperial capital of Japan, and it is here that many of the country's finest gardens are to be found. 'Throw nothing away' must always have been the motto of Japanese garden designers, for old and new co-exist in the country's gardens, which have much to tell us about the history of Japan. The oldest surviving gardens belong to the Heian era (794-1185), and they are known in Japanese as chisen shuyu teien, or 'pond-spring-boating-gardens'. The pond was at the heart both of the garden and of the wonderfully leisured, light-hearted and sensuous lifestyle of the aristocracy. The chisen shuyu teien garden was designed to be seen from the water, and the boating parties that took place in it were highly theatrical affairs. Guests drifted about in beautifully carved and painted boats to the accompaniment of music played by an orchestra that floated in the pond on a boat of its own. (telegraph.co.uk) Japan's pet food sector: Growing sales volume despite waning ad spend Dogs come to resemble their owners, or so the saying goes. In Japan, the human population is greying, with a record 29 million of the island nation's 128 million citizens now over the age of 65, and with a life expectancy of 86.1 for females and 79.3 for males. Likewise, more than half of Japan's dog and cats are older than seven years, and roughly 30 per cent are past the 10-year mark. Here the mimicry ends, however. While the number of Japanese began dwindling in the mid-naughts, the number of pets has swollen. Last year, Japan had 13.6 million dogs and 11.3 million cats, a nine and 29 per cent increase respectively on 2004, according to the Japan Pet Food Association. (media.asia) Airport you will have to travel by the train Kansai-kuko then Yamatoji to station JR of Nara. By train: De Kyoto to return to you to station JR of Nara you can take the line of train JR Nara. You can also take the line Kintetsu Kyoto which arrives at the station Kintetsu Nara. Station of Kintetsu Namba Osaka to take the Kaisoku-kyuko train to arrive at the station Kintetsu Nara. The subway: Nara does not have subway. Bus: An important network of Bus furrows the city making it possible to compensate for the absence of subway. The point of information for the bus is located opposite station JR of Nara. Another point of information is located at the station of Kintetsu Nara. There is a line of bus especially conceived for the visitors who will make known to you all the great tourist centers of Nara. Four routes were set up from station JR of Nara. To locate itself Nara not having subway, we advise you to make your displacements with foot. You can well on travelling by the bus but why not benefit from this pleasant city differently and simply. The city built according to a checkerboard plan makes it possible to easily circulate without fear to lose itself. Moreover the majority of the major tourist places are collected around stations JR of Nara and Kintetsu. Nara Buddha Shinto rites of purity decreed that with the death of an emperor, the capital must be relocated. It was around Nara that all of Japan's orignal capitals were established between the third and eighth centuries. From 710 Nara was made the 'permanent capital', a permanence that lasted, however, for only 84 years before the capital was moved to what was then called Heiankyo, now Kyoto. Nara Buddha Japan Elegant testiments to Nara's ancient status remain mainly in the form of ryokans, and, of course, the rites and festivities that they have been the focus of for over a thousand years. Nara Park is notable for the hundreds of tame deer it is home to. Rice crackers (sembei) are on sale at 150 yen to feed them: a favorite photo opportunity. Deer of Nara Todaiji ryokan (a World Heritage Site) is a complex of buildings that includes the world's largest wooden structure, the 48m (157 foot)-high Daibutsu-den, built in 743 and which houses the 15m (49 foot) gilt bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha), cast in 749: also the largest of its kind in the world. Over 9000 of Todaiji's priceless cultural treasures are on display in another of its many buildings, the Shoso-in Hall which is, architecturally, a treasure in its own right. The famous five-story pagoda (go-juu-no-toh) located inside Nara Park is the most famous relic of the almost 180 buildings that once made up Kofukuji ryokan: a ryokan founded originally in Kyoto by the ancient and powerful Fujiwara clan, and later moved to Nara when the city became the capital in 710A.D. Also inside Nara Park is the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, one of Japan's most prominent Shinto shrines originally built, like Kofukuji ryokan - but 99 years later in 768, by the Fujiwara family. However, like the Great Shrine at Ise, Kasuga Taisha Shrine is destroyed and rebuilt every 20 years in accordance with the purity precepts of the Shinto religion. Gangoji ryokan, originally known as Hokoji ryokan, is said to be Japan's first true Buddhist ryokan. Its establishment was of such significance that the King of Paekche in Korea sent artisans to help with its construction - which took place in the then capital of nearby Asuka. It was moved to Nara when the city became capital and the original ryokan is now split into two: a 'Gangoji' in the city's Chuin-cho area, and another 'Gangoji' in the Shibanoshin-ya-cho area. The Chuin-cho Gangoji is a World Heritage site and is notable for its Hondo (main hall) and Zenshitsu (zen room). Nara Pagoda Japan Like Gangoji ryokan, Yakushuji ryokan was also built in Asuka and later moved to Nara. It is notable for its pituresque restored East Tower (Toh-toh), which is the only remaining original building of this ryokan. However, work over recent decades has restored Yakushiji to a state befitting this head ryokan of the small "Consciousness-Only" Hosso sect of Buddhism. There is much to see in the countryside surrounding Nara including the cherry blossoms at Yoshino and the sacred pilgrimage site of Mt. Omine. Also of interest are the ruins at Asukamura. Tourism Nara is a superb city harmonizes some with the environment and having preserved its cultural identities. Not to be delayed in this history and bosky bower would be an error. In Nara figure it is more than 36 ryokans, 16 sanctuaries, 417 parks of all sizes, 2 amusement parks, 20 city information / tipss, 2 halls of exposure and 8 goods registered to the world inheritance of UNESCO! To stroll in the streets of Nara is a sheer delight especially in the typical lanes of the district of Naramachi located at the south of the Kofuku-ji ryokan and the lake Sarusaw. city information / tipss of Nara Neiraku Bijutsukan: Located not far from the Todai-ji ryokan and of one putting back garden, this city information / tips offers to the sight of the visitors an interesting Japanese bronze and Asian ceramics collection. Yamato Bunkakan: is a gathering city information / tips of the objets d'art eclectic but a great quality. Painting, folding screen, drawing are well represented there. Address: 1-11-6 Minami, Gakuen. Kokuô Kan: is a city information / tips gathering an interesting collection of Buddhist statues. Nara-shi Shashin Bijutsukan: city information / tips of the photography which is devoted almost to Taikichi Irie. National city information / tips of Nara. This city information / tips with atypical architecture gathers archaeological collections of works as well as traditional penmanships, paintings (e-makimono) and sculptures. Address: 150 Noborioji-cho. More city information / tipss. As an indication, here the other city information / tipss which you can visit in Nara. - city information / tipss of the center of Nara city information / tips of the prefecture of Nara. Address: 10-6 Noborioji. - city information / tips Toki-No-shiryo-kan. Address: 28 Nishinoshinya-cho. - city information / tips Naramachi Siryo-kan. Address: 14 Nishinoshinya-cho. - Historical city information / tips of the town of Nara of the habitat. Address: 1-1 Wakido-cyo. - Kokuhoukan city information / tips. Address: 48 Noborioji-cho. - city information / tips of the Penmanship of the town of Nara in the honor of Kason Sugioka. Address: 3, wakido-cho. - Nara Kraft city information / tips. Address: 1-1 Azemame-cho. - Neiraku city information / tips. Address: 174 Mima-cho. - Nara park city information / tips. Address: 1469 Zoshi-cho. - Nara City city information / tips of Photography. Address: 1600-1 Takabatake-cho. - Houmotsu-den city information / tips of the sanctuaireKasuga Taisha. Address: 1160 Kasugano-cho - city information / tipss of the west of Nara The city information / tips of Art Shohaku. Address: 2-1-4 Tomigaoka. - The city information / tips of Art Nakano Art city information / tips. Address: 9-946-2 Minami, Ayameike. - city information / tipss of the western north of Nara city information / tips of the road of the silk of Nara. Address: 3-5-15 Minami, Nijooji. - city information / tipss of the western south of Nara Sugawara city information / tips. Address: 403-2 Yokoryo-cho. - The city information / tipss of the nard is of Nara The residence of the former lord and chief of clan of Yagyu. Address: 155-1 Yagyu-cho. Tourist information center in JR Nara Station: 0742-22-9821; Kintetsu Nara Station: 0742-24-4858. Nara City hotel ist Association (on Sanjo Dori): 0742-22-3900. Goodwill books are available free of charge: Nara S.G.G. Ryokan (0742-22-5595, English, French, German, Chinese, and Thai); Nara YMCA (0742-45-5920, English) Nara Student book (0742-26-4753, English) Visit a Japanese family - Kyoto Home Visit Program International credit ryokand ATMs Along Sanjo Dori, the narrow shopping street that runs from JR Nara Station to Nara Park, there are several banks that will change money and have ATMs that can be HOW TOed with credit ryokands issued overseas: -Nara Bank: Diners Ryokan, MasterCard, Visa, AmEx, JCB; 8:45am-7pm, 9am-5pm weekends (closed Jan 1st - 3rd). -Mizuho Bank Diners Ryokan, MasterCard, Visa/Mastercard, AmEx; 8:45am-7pm, 9am-5pm weekends (closed Jan 1st - 3rd). -Sumitomo-Mitsui Bank: Diners Ryokan, MasterCard, Visa/Mastercard, AmEx; 8am-9pm (closed Jan 1st - 3rd). HOW TO Air Airport limousine services to Kansai International Airport or JR train and change at Tennoji Station in Osaka. Rail HOW TO to Osaka on JR West (about 45 minutes on the express) or Kintetsu Line from Namba and Tsuruhashi. HOW TO to Kyoto on either Kintetsu Railways (35 minutes on the Super Express Tokyo) or JR West (40 minutes on the Miyakojima Express). Tourist Information Center Nara City hotel ist Information Office Tel: 0742 24 4858 Kintetsu Nara Station

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Nara Park is notable for the hundreds of tame deer it is home to. Rice crackers (sembei) are on sale at 150 yen to feed them: a favorite photo opportunity.

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