Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [327]
To get there from Kashihara-jingū, walk out the northern gate of the shrine (to your left when you stand with your back to the main hall), follow the wooded avenue for five minutes, cross the main road and continue on in the same direction for 100m before turning left at the first intersection. It’s on the left soon after this turn.
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ASUKA
0744 / pop 6330
The Yamato Plain in central Nara-ken is where the forerunners of Japan’s ruling Yamato dynasty cemented their grip on power. In these pre-Buddhist days, huge earthen burial mounds were used to entomb deceased emperors. Some of the best examples of these burial mounds, or kofun, can be found around the town of Asuka, an hour or so south of Nara on the Kintetsu line.
The best way to explore the area is by bicycle, which can be rented from one of several rental shops outside the station (per day weekday/weekend ¥900/1000). There’s a tourist information office (54-3624; 8.30am-5pm, closed year-end/new-year holidays) outside Asuka Station, which stocks an excellent pamphlet with a suggested bicycle route of the area.
Two tombs worth seeing are Takamatsuzuka-kofun () and Ishibutai-kofun (; admission ¥250; 8.30am-5pm). Takamatsuzuka-kofun, which was excavated in 1972, is closed to the public but can be observed from outside. Unfortunately, it’s once again being excavated and it looks very much like a construction site (and work won’t be completed until 2019). Luckily, the Ishibutai-kofun is open to the public and is not being excavated. It is said to have housed the remains of Soga no Umako but is now completely empty.
If you have time left after visiting the earlier sights, take a look at Asuka-dera (; 54-2126; admission ¥350; 9am-4.45pm), which dates from 596 and is considered the first true temple in all of Japan. Housed within is the oldest remaining image of Buddha in Japan – it looks pretty good considering it’s been around for more than 1300 years.
Lastly, if you’d like a bite to eat while in Asuka, try Café Rest Ashibi (; 0742-26-6662; simple meals from ¥1000; 10am-6pm, lunch until 2pm). To get there, exit the station and follow the canal to the right for about 150m.
Asuka is five stops south of Yamato-Yagi (change at Kashihara-jingū-mae) and two stops south of Kashihara-jingū-mae on the Kintetsu Yoshino line (¥220 from Yamato-Yagi, 10 minutes, tokkyū stops at Asuka).
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AROUND SAKURAI
There are a few interesting places to visit close to the town of Sakurai, which can be reached directly from Nara on the JR Sakurai line (futsū, ¥320, 28 minutes). To reach Sakurai via Yamato-Yagi (when coming from Kyoto or Osaka), take the Kintetsu Osaka line from Yamato-Yagi (junkyū, ¥200, seven minutes).
Tanzan-jinja
South of Sakurai, this shrine (0744-49-0001; admission ¥500; 8.30am-4.30pm) can be reached by bus 14 from stand 1 outside the southern exit of Sakurai Station (¥460, 24 minutes). Enshrined here is Nakatomi no Kamatari, patriarch of the Fujiwara line, which effectively ruled Japan for nearly 500 years. Legend has it that Nakatomi met here secretly with Prince Naka no Ōe over games of kickball to discuss the overthrow of the ruling Soga clan. This event is commemorated on the second Sunday in November by priests playing a game of kickball.
The central structure of the shrine is an attractive 13-storey pagoda best viewed against a backdrop of maple trees ablaze with autumn colours.
Hase-dera
Two stops east of Sakurai on the Kintetsu Osaka line is Hasedera Station. From the station, it’s a 20-minute walk to lovely Hase-dera (0744-47-7001; admission ¥500; 9am-4.30pm). After a long climb up seemingly endless steps, you enter the main hall and are rewarded with a splendid view from the gallery, which juts out on stilts over the mountainside. Inside the top hall, the huge Kannon image is well worth a look. The best times to visit this temple are in the spring,