Greet the new year in Nara! Recommended traditional event&food

In Nara city, Nara prefecture, various events will be held during New Year holidays at famous tourist spots such as Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Grand Shrine. New year you greet while traveling will surely be your special time. Also, don’t forget to enjoy local dishes and Japanese sweets which are traditional and unique to Nara! Why not have an elegant time for New Year holidays to satisfy your heart and stomach?

This time, we’re going to introduce a traditional event held around Hotel Fujita Nara and our recommended foods with a long history.

“Kannon Mantoe” where a view by which your heart feels like it’s cleansed spreads out

“Kannon Mantoe” held at Hasedera Temple, famous for one of the largest wooden statues in Japan, is especially recommended amongst all of new year’s events in Nara. From 31st December to 3rd January, the main hall and the staircase corridor with 399 steps will be draped in gentle light of countless lanterns.✨ When you walk here, you may feel as if you were in between the present and the old time. At midnight on 1st January, Joya no kane (New Year’s Eve bell) will be rung, and you will be able to meet the Kannon Bosatsu statue illuminated by lanterns. The Kannon with the height of 12 meters that you cannot usually see will take your breath away.

Period	31st December, 2019 – 3rd January, 2020
Venue	Hasedera Temple (731-1 Hase, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture)
Access	Take the Sakurai line at Nara station, transfer to the Kintetsu Osaka line at Sakurai station and get off it at Hasedera station which is 15 min’s walk to Hasedera temple.
URL	https://www.visitnara.jp/venues/E02104/

“Heiso Nara” preserving their traditional taste since the time of founding

When you’re hungry, let’s head to “Heiso Nara.”. Established around the end of Edo period in 1861, this restaurant is the origin of Kakinoha Zushi, one of Nara’s local dishes -pressed sushi using mackerel which is highly nutritious, rich in good fatty acids and sweet is wrapped in a persimmon leaf. Originally, it was served as a treat for a summer festival. It’s like a traditional gem filled with a mild flavor of mackerel and fresh flavor of persimmon leaves. In addition, Heiso offer local dishes of Nara such as Chagayu (tea gruel) and Miwa Somen and traditional cuisines using seasonal ingredients.

Opening Hours	11:00AM – 8:00PM　Closed on Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, closed the next day.)
Address	30-1 Imamikado-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
Access	A 10-min walk from the hotel
URL	http://www.hiraso.jp/lang/english.html

Japanese confectionery shop “Honke Kikuya” with over 400 years of history

Speaking of souvenirs, “Honke Kikuya(https://kikuya.co.jp/),” the oldest Japanese confectionery shop in Nara, is must-visit. Here, you can try ”Oshiro no kuchi-mochi’ which the founder made for Toyotomi Hideyoshi 400 years ago. Even now, they wholeheartedly make it in the traditional method without preservatives. Just by putting in your mouth, flavors of sticky rice, highest grade adzuki beans and kinako powder burst at once. There are 3 shops around the hotel, but please visit the main shop with a retro atmosphere.

Opening Hours	8:00AM – 7:30PM　Closed on New Year’s Day
Address	Yanagi, Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture
Access	About 10 min’s walk from Koriyama station where it takes 5 mins by the Yamatoji line from Nara station.
URL	https://kikuya.co.jp/