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Main route Tkabatake Area(Nara city)
With numerous old temples of the likes of Shinyakushi-ji and Byakugo-ji affront a backdrop of Mt. Takamado and the Kasuga Virgin Forest that covers it, the Takahata area was deeply admired by intellectuals from the Taisho to early Showa Periods.
Many famous writers and artists had homes there, including author Naoya Shiga of the Shirakaba School and artist Genichiro Adachi.
Known as Naramachi, the area west of Takahata has a long history having grown as the area outside of the Heijo-kyo Palace around the former grounds of Gango-ji Temple because of roads that connected it with the capital.
There are many homes of merchants from the late Edo Period into the Meiji Period, which give the area a nostalgic air.
Point
The section from Aska to Kyoto via Nara is the features of Rekishikaido that you can do “time travel” from early days to modern age explore the history.
You can take railroads, the JR line and the Kintetsu line.
Kintetsu limited express is useful for sightseeing. The train runs from Kyoto station to Nara or Kashihara station every 15 minutes.
JR line connections have been improving in recent years.
The JR Sakurai line the railway along with mountain path, has a flavor as a local line.
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Naramachi
Heading south from Sarusawa-ike Pond is a checkerboard of narrow streets centered around Gango-ji Temple, where still remain many low-roofed homes with narrow entryways, white earthen walls and latticed doors and windows. There are some unique galleries in one part of the neighborhood
・Toki [Time] Gallery Admission fee: 100yen, Closed: Mondays
・Naramachi Gallery Admission fee: Free, Closed: Mondays
Gango-ji Temple(World Heritage)
Gango-ji Temple is one of the 7 Buddhist temples in the Nara area protected by the government during the Nara Period. Its predecessor is Hoko-ji Temple, the oldest true Buddhist temple built in Asuka by Umako Soga. It is also registered as a World Heritage under the title of "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara".
Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Admission fee: 400yen
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Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City
This is the first museum in Western Japan to be dedicated entirely to photography. Exhibits center around some 80,000 works by the late photographer Irie Taikichi who captured the roads of Yamato.
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday), December 27 - January 3
How to get there: Approx. 10 min on foot from Wariishicho Bus Stop of Nara Kotsu Bus Lines
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Shinyakushi-ji Temple
This temple was built in 747 by the Empress Komyo as a prayer for her husband's, the Emperor Shomu's, recovery from illness. The principle image of the temple is Bhaisajya Guru, said Yakushi Nyorai in Japanese, the god of healing. The temple is famous for its main hall, which is a National Treasure, and the oldest set of wooden statues of the gods, of which there are 12.
Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Admission fee: 600yen