In the early eighth century, when Nara became Japan's first permanent capital, the powerful Fujiwara clan moved their family temple here, and Kofuku-ji became one of the great temples of the city, wealthy enough to maintain its own warrior monks. Its five storey pagoda, rebuilt in the fifteenth century after one of several fires, is the second tallest wooden pagoda in Japan and a symbol of Nara, reflected in the Sarusawa pond below. The Central Golden Hall was rebuilt and reopened in 2018, and the National Treasure Museum holds the famous statue of Ashura, a three faced, six armed guardian with a strikingly human expression. Kofuku-ji is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara World Heritage Site. The pagoda is undergoing a long restoration and may be wrapped in scaffolding when you visit.
Nara Park, around the temple, is home to over a thousand sika deer, considered messengers of the gods, which wander freely and bow to visitors in hope of crackers. They are tame but can be pushy, so keep food out of sight. The great Todai-ji temple, with its giant bronze Buddha, and the Kasuga Taisha shrine, with its thousands of lanterns, are within walking distance.
Riding in Nara is city riding, with traffic and narrow streets, but the city is smaller and calmer than Kyoto or Osaka. The roads into the hills east of Nara are more interesting, including the drive up Mount Wakakusa, a toll road with views over the city, and the roads through the Yagyu area toward Iga. South of Nara, the roads through the Asuka region, the earlier capital, pass ancient burial mounds and rice paddies.
Nara has petrol stations on its main roads and a wide choice of restaurants. Try kakinoha sushi, mackerel or salmon sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, a Nara speciality, and nara-zuke, vegetables pickled in sake lees. Parking a motorcycle in central Nara is possible in designated areas; ask at your hotel. Autumn, when the maples turn, and spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom, are the busiest and loveliest seasons.