Location: Sakurai
Top Things to do in Sakurai
The 10 Best Things to Do in Sakurai, Japan
Masahiro Sakurai is a Japanese video game director and game designer best known as the creator of the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series. Apart from his work in those series, he also designed Meteos in 2005 and directed Kid Icarus: Uprising in 2012.
Restaurants in Sakurai
1. Hasedera Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 254 reviews
Hase-dera is also nicknamed a flower 's temple, so it came to be called so because flowers do not go through throughout the year like cherry blossoms, peony, hydrangeas, autumn leaves in autumn. As I go through the mountain gate, I climb a long corridor called Erawing, and in Nara I can visit the main hall (Kannondo) next to Todaiji Temple. There will be a big Kannon exceeding 10 meters. The view from the outside stage where the three sides are surrounded by Mountains is a word of great view.
Reviewed By Tweetcoz - Melbourne, Australia
We did a loop from Nara to Mt Yoshino to Muro dam to Muroji then lastly to Hasedera and back to Nara.
We hired a car and it was worth the 500 yen pp to enter this temple and 500 yen for car parking.
Steps under a beautiful wooden covered walkway to the top temple and the balcony at the top offers a magnifier view over the tree tops and surrounds.
There's 2 ways down. The longer way takes you to a Pagoda. We took the shorter way as we were losing light.
The views from the bottom looking up is also gorgeous. All the magnificent colors.
2. Asuka-dera
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 130 reviews
Reviewed By BryanBaier - Nara, Japan
This is the oldest temple in Japan, the start of Japanese Buddhism and the beginning of the art of Buddha statue construction in Japan by Japanese artists. It was constructed more than 1400 years ago and has endured fires, earthquakes, typhoons and many other tests that time creates. The temple is small and doesn't require a great deal of time to see everything but the impact of the temple's history and importance is powerful
3. Kashihara Jingu
Overall Ratings
4 based on 203 reviews
Reviewed By GVancouver - Vancouver, Canada
We literally stumbled on Kashihara Shrine by mistake. We intended to rent bikes in Asuka but they were too expensive, so opted to walk around instead. We followed the signs from Asuka station. Kashihara Shrine is about a ten minute walk from the station.
The grounds are massive and well maintained. The temple itself is relatively modern, but still beautiful. It is surrounded by acres of forested park.
Would we have made a special trip to see it? Probably not. But we were happy to have stumbled across it.
4. Omiwa Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 236 reviews
Reviewed By AsukaSaki - Osaka
Omiwa Shrine was built directly at the foot of Miwa-yama (467-meter-high Mount Miwa), and is one of the oldest extent Shinto shrines in Japan. The shrine has a worship hall, but no place for the deity to be housed, because it is believed to serve Miwa-yama itself.
We can find a big torii gate with a height of 32 meters, the second highest in Japan, on the national highway 169. A gravel approach lined with Japanese cedars, pine and camphor trees led us to a sacred compound of the shrine.
There are not only a lot of free parking lots but fine and affordable local cuisine restaurants around the big torii gate. We had a grated yam over rice for lunch after praying for our good luck.
5. Ishibutai Tomb
Overall Ratings
4 based on 234 reviews
6. Yamanobe Street
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 45 reviews
Reviewed By Johan17 - Haarlem, The Netherlands
We walked the entire Yamanobe-no-Michi trail starting from the free parking (!) place near the entrance of the Omiwa Shrine torii. And about 10 minutes walk from JR Miwa station that can be reached from Nara (or Tenri) on either the JR Line or the Kintetsu Line.
This trail was originally part of the Shinkaido, an ancient route from Tokyo. You really have to look out for the signs. We missed the first sign and returned at our starting point. It appeared that a small Delivery truck was parked blocking sight of the sign / route marker.
It is a beautiful route / trail / track taking you through small villages, along rice fields, shrines, memorials, emperor's burial places, etc.
Very recommendable. Although we walked it on the 12th of October it was sunny and warm (26C), so we were happy to have taken the route to the North (with the sun in our backs).
I have written separate reviews on the shrines on our route.
7. Imaichono Machinami
Overall Ratings
4 based on 77 reviews
Reviewed By たぬきおやじ - Tokyo, Japan
今井町散策資料として 【今井まちなみ交流ｾﾝﾀｰ〔華甍〕】にて《歴史街道 ならかしはら今井町》と《今井町いらすと・ﾏｯﾌﾟ 今井町並み散歩（平成29年5月13～21日開催ｲﾍﾞﾝﾄ用》の2種入手出来ますが 単独で散策時での道案内には《今井町いらすと・ﾏｯﾌﾟ（添付 写真参照）》をお薦めします。 《今井町いらすと・ﾏｯﾌﾟ》には 地図内に今井町内の代表的な建築物がｲﾗｽﾄで記載されているので 散策しようとするｴﾘｱや建築物を簡単に見つけることが出来るからです。
8. Tanzan Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 116 reviews
Reviewed By Seidenpriester - Luebeck, Germany
I visited the shrine in December. This is definately not the time of the year, you should plan a visit. The shrine is really something. It is surrounded by trees. But without leaves, the impression is boring.
But let us go deeper into details ... The buildings are looking a little bit old. The paint is coming of at some places. But this also makes the shrine a little bit mystic and ancient; The honden is built on the flank of a hill. There are dozen of lanterns hanging around. Inside the shrine and on the balcony. Next to the honden there is a 13-story pagoda. I believe this is the only one in all Japan. There are a few more buildings. If you are there you should plan to stay one hour.
I saw a picture of the shrine during autumn color (second half of November!) in the internet. If I combine this with the impressions from my visit in December: Wow. It must be breathtaking during autumn color.
The shrine is outside Asuka and 12km away from the nearest train station. This is the station Sakurai. You should plan your visit by checking the bus connections from the train station to the shrine. I used a taxi a paid a fortune ($40 for one direction). -- If you plan to visit Asuka, Tanzan shrine and Hasedera Temple on one single day, think about it twice. You need either a really good plan and a clock or a rental car.
To sum it up: The shrine buildings are 4 stars. During winter time and early spring (trees still without leaves) I would give only 3 stars and suggest that you postpone the visit. The trouble of getting is in no relation to the result. BUT ... During autumn color I would give 5 stars, and recommend to visit the shrine.
9. Sai Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
Reviewed By Johan17 - Haarlem, The Netherlands
The Sai shrine is a beautiful temple on the Yamanobe-no-michi trail. It may not be easy to find the next stage of the route, but the trail continues just in front of the restaurants/ shops. It is clearly indicated, but Delivery trucks can block your view.
10. Amakashi no Oka
Overall Ratings
4 based on 59 reviews
Reviewed By BryanBaier - Nara, Japan
Walking along the tree and plant lined paths of this park is a very pleasant experience. The views over the rice fields and black and gray kawara tiled roofs of Asuka Village to the east, and Kashihara City and the Nara Basin to the north and north west are spectacular
