Yegenaga Travel & Tours Guide

Nothing wrong if Nara likened “one breath” with Kyoto. In terms of history, both cities closely linked. Nara was Japan’s first capital before it moved to Kyoto for nearly 1000 years. Both were only 42 kilometers distance adrift.

Incidentally, the last Friday of March was a “Shunbun-no hi” (vernal equinox day), the day where the sun crossed the equator, so long as the length of day and night. For Japanese people it is time for  and visit family graves. It is not surprising since this morning intercity train station in Tokyo was packed with people who will pass a long weekend out of town. Everyone rushed to drag her suitcase.

Trip to Kyoto by Shinkansen train quickly cleared for three hours. City Shinagawa, Mishama, Hamamatsu, Yokohama, Nagoya, passed quickly. Arriving in Kyoto, a trip to Nara was followed by regular train. The atmosphere at Kyoto Station is much more calm. A seat on the train were not all filled.

From behind the window, range of scenery flashed alternately. From the meadow, turned into a row of small houses, changed back to agricultural fields that  regularly. Colorful flowers begin to burst in the corners of the yard. Spring is arriving soon ….

Nara is the entrance to the spread of Buddhism to Japan in the sixth century. A number of temples located in this city to witness how the teaching is achieved glory and lasted until the following milennia. However, in the era of the Meiji Empire, politics entered the area of religion. The emperor’s decision emerged in 1868 that limits Buddhism. Shinto became the only belief that era officially recognized it.

Trajectories was reflected in Tōdai-ji Temple. This is a magnet city of Nara. Here there is a giant statue of Buddha that was built during the reign of Emperor Shomu (724-749). Tōdai-ji Temple is also believed to be the largest wooden building in the world, who several times had to be rebuilt because it was badly damaged by the quake, fire, and war.

The current building is only one third of its original area. Bronze statue of Buddha which has 16 meters high and weighing about 437 tons of it, loomed a solid wood-paneled room. Simple room has gone through various times, more than ten centuries.

Nara is a city park. And, the gardens of the city inhabited hundreds of deer roam freely. They are believed to be incarnations of the gods. Come to the Kasuga Shrine and look valuable storage space from the Heian Period (Ages 9-10). All the exhibits have a connection with the legend Kasuga Deity, who arrived in Nara with riding a white deer. The legend set forth in the form of valuable works of art silk paintings, wood carvings, pottery, ceramics, until the war equipment. Everything b deer.

Kasuga Shrine is also known as the temple lanterns. There are about 3,000 stone lanterns flanking the entrance to the main building. While building on the temple was filled with rows of bronze and brass lamps. Special ceremony to light a lantern held only twice a year, the beginning of February and mid-August. Can be imagined, when the dark night surrounded Kasuga covered hills, and thousands of lanterns were lit … how beautiful.

Untreated

If you have enough time, could Nara surrounded by walking or riding a bike. Taxis are also easy to find. It’s just taken a taxi route is usually the main roads. In fact, among the narrow alleyways that snaked a lot of unexpected beauty. The houses of ancient architecture, beautiful temples, small scale, and also the cafe to unwind.

Language problems are often an obstacle for foreign tourists. However, a variety of brochures in English are provided free of charge at Nara station. Here, all goods prices also have attached so no need to haggle, just pointing things. Eating in restaurants is also very easy for all kinds of food have been made replica on display in the window, complete with prices. Japan also does not have a culture tips.

Restroom cleanliness? For this one needs to learn to Indonesia. Small room in any corner of cleanliness maintained. Queue at the train station or at the bus station does not create tension (due to imagine the condition of the toilet after use lots of visitors). Each person feels obliged to consider the interests of subsequent users. Always left the toilet in a clean and tidy condition. Culture that was the envy.

In addition to his life had become, comfort was also a part of an aggressive campaign to make the Japanese Government of Japan as a “domestic tourism”. Since 2003, Prime Minister of Japan at that time, Koizumi, announced a target to double tourist arrivals to the country to 10 million per year. The target should be achieved in 2010.

“Actually we are optimistic that this target can be achieved for the year 2008 the number of foreign tourists who come have reached 8.35 million people, or 4 million people added in four years. But now a global crisis. We must continue to work hard, “said Toyohito Shinada, Chief Official, Tourism Promotion Division, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan.

Japan’s industrial nations have become even feel the need to continue to work hard to fix its tourism industry. What about Indonesia?