Nara is the capital of Nara prefecture in Japan and because of its close proximity, it’s a popular “one-day trip” destination from Osaka or Kyoto. The main attraction here is undoubtedly the Nara Park with free roaming deer that you can feed, however, Nara has also rich history, many awe-inspiring temples, eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and it is second only to Kyoto as a repository of Japan’s cultural legacy. In the 7^th century, Nara served as Japan’s first permanent capital (until then the capital cities were moved with each passing emperor according to Shinto traditions), and even though this period didn’t last very long (only 75 years), during that time the emperors accepted influences from China and thus laid the foundations of Japanese culture.Things to do in nara