Naramachi (literally "Nara Town") is the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional residential buildings and warehouses have been preserved. Boutiques, shops, cafes, restaurants and a few museums now line the district's narrow lanes.
Many of the buildings in the Naramachi district were machiya, long, narrow "townhouses" that served both as the shops and the living quarters of the local merchants. The machiya's front was kept narrow in order to save on taxes, which used to be calculated on a property's street access rather than its total area. A few of the preserved machiya are open to the public.
Before the 15th century, the spacious grounds of Gangoji Temple occupied the area that is Naramachi today. Gangoji was one of Japan's most important temples during the Nara Period and has been dedicated a Unesco World Heritage Site. Only a couple of buildings of the temple remain today.
Below is a list of Naramachi's main attractions:
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Gangoji Temple
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Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entrance until 16:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 400 yen
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Gangoji Temple was one of Nara's seven great temples along with Todaiji, Yakushiji, Saidaiji, Kofukuji, Horyuji and Daianji. It originated as Asukadera in Asuka and was moved to Nara in 718. Asukadera is considered Japan's oldest temple. Today, Gangoji is only a small fraction of what it used to be.
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Koshi-no-Ie Residence (Naramachi Lattic House)
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Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: Mondays (Tue if Mon is a national holiday) and the day following national holidays (except weekends)
Admission: Free
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Koshi-no-Ie Residence is a former merchant home open to the public. It is the best place for a look at one of Nara's traditional machiya townhouses with a shop space in the front of the building and the living quarters in the rear.
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Nara Craft Museum (Nara Kogeikan)
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Hours: 10:00 to 18:00
Closed: Mondays (Tue if Mon is a national holiday) and the day following national holidays (except weekends)
Admission: Free
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This museum provides an introduction to the arts and crafts which Nara is famous for, including high quality writing brushes, ink and kogakumen masks among others.
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Naramachi Shiryokan
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Hours: 10:00 to 16:00
Closed: Weekdays
Admission: Free
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This history museum in central Naramachi displays many artifacts with Japanese explanations. The museum also focuses on the brightly colored red and white hanging monkeys (migawari-zaru) commonly seen in Naramachi doorways. It is open on weekends and national holidays only.
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Imanishike Shoin Residence
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Hours: 10:00 to 14:00 (entry until 13:30)
Closed: Mondays, summer holidays, winter holidays
Admission: 350 yen
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Imanishike Shoin Residence, located in the eastern part of Naramachi, is a former residence of an important temple official who worked at Kofukuji Temple. Imanishike has a pleasant garden, a large interior, and a space for enjoying green tea and Japanese sweets.
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