Japan: An expanse of blossom, and tea for Buddha

Nara, in the centre of Japan near Osaka and Kobe, is the country's second most historic town. It was once the capital city back in the eighth century, and despite having lost this rank, its historic importance has left it with masses of exquisite architecture, which makes it an important part of a Japanese itinerary. And being close to Osaka's Kansai airport means that it can be a delightful way of dealing with a stopover to New Zealand. Of course, even despite its economic difficulties, the country's reputation for being pricey is well deserved, so don't forget your credit card

Nara, in the centre of Japan near Osaka and Kobe, is the country's second most historic town. It was once the capital city back in the eighth century, and despite having lost this rank, its historic importance has left it with masses of exquisite architecture, which makes it an important part of a Japanese itinerary. And being close to Osaka's Kansai airport means that it can be a delightful way of dealing with a stopover to New Zealand. Of course, even despite its economic difficulties, the country's reputation for being pricey is well deserved, so don't forget your credit card.

Why go?

Nara has a total of eight designated World Heritage Sites courtesy of the United Nations. Some 90 minutes from Kansai Airport by coach or train, it's just the right size for a couple of days of strolling, sightseeing and exploring, with oodles of spectacular temples, monuments and parks.

Why now?

For the cherry blossoms ­ a seasonal celebration that is close to a religion here and lasts until about the end of April. But be aware: while tourists enjoy watching the delicate pink and white petals covering streets and parks like snow, the Japanese are positively obsessive about it, gathering beneath the trees for numerous parties called hanami.

There seems to be a festival or ceremony every week in Nara. Today is Buddha's birthday, during which visitors to temples pour hydrangea tea over the head of a small statue of the big man. On 19 May there's a fan-throwing ceremony ­ during which Buddhist priests throw fans. Later in the year there's a bean-throwing ceremony, a grass-burning festival, a moon-viewing ceremony... you get the picture.

The mission

Set aside a day to explore Nara Park, which contains the numerous temples, gates, gardens and pagodas that comprise Nara's ancient temple complex. I often feel a little bit of temple-viewing goes a long way, but not this time, mainly because we were shown around by Hisayo, a student volunteer guide. She explained and translated for us, and was also happy to give us a crash course in Japanese and tell us just why Samurai warriors were interested in flower arranging.

Guide or no guide, the sights of the park are awe-inspiring: the two wooden statues guarding the towering south gate are enormous, and the Todai-ji temple, which houses a 55ft-high bronze Buddha, is the largest wooden structure in the world. Head to the south of the park to the bright vermilion Kasuga Grand Shrine, a peculiar blend of old and new. It was first built in the eighth century, but in accordance with Shinto ideas of purity and renewal, the whole thing is knocked down and rebuilt every 20 years.

Remember this

Get naked with the locals ­ strip off and soak in the hot pools at one of the public baths scattered around the city. And prepare to be shocked, literally. It's not uncommon for a one of the pools to have a fairly big electric current running through it. They think it's therapeutic, apparently. If having your muscles contract doesn't appeal, then try the bubbling pool or jump into what is effectively a giant cup of herb tea: I sat in a pool of hot water with a tennis-ball sized teabag which turned the water brown and made it smell of liquorice. Weird but strangely appealing. Ask your hotel for directions to the nearest baths, as many are hard to find.

Nara is also a modern city, so stroll around the centre or drop into some of the coffee houses. Sip sake at one of the minuscule bars ­ Yakitori Ondori, on Higashi-terabayashi-cho, is so small that the barman gets behind the bar by descending a ladder from the floor above and there's room for only about six customers.

Take a ride in a rickshaw, but only if you feel lucky. I'm told that the rickshaws touting for custom on the outskirts of Nara Park are controlled by the local Yakuza gangs.

Finally, look further afield. Bustling Osaka and historic Kyoto are each only 90 minutes or so from Nara, so there's plenty of time during a week-long break to visit at least one of them as well as Nara.

Where to stay

Try to stay at least one night in a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan). From the moment the maid shows you to your bed-free room with its reed-mat floor and sliding paper screens, it's clear that this is going to be a different kind of hotel. Unless you arrange otherwise, a set-menu dinner and breakfast are served in your room. After the meal the low table is pushed to the side, futons and duvets are taken out of a cupboard and the bed is made up for you. In the morning the maid will wake you and put the table back in place before serving breakfast. It's a rather odd and public experience having someone bustling about rearranging your room first thing, but this is unmissable. A good mid-range ryokan is the Furuichi at 6 Higashi-terabayashi-cho, Nara-shi (tel: 0081 742 22-2440), in the old Naramachi quarter, 10 minutes' walk from the centre. Rooms cost Y10,000 to Y15,000 (£57 to £86) per person, including breakfast and dinner.

You could stay in a temple. The local tourist office has a list of shukubo, as they are called, as does the Japanese tourist board in the UK. Expect to pay about Y5,000 per person per night. The poshest place in town is Hotel Nara at 1096 Takabataka-cho (tel: 0081 742 26-3300). Built at the turn of the century, many of its rooms have lovely high ceilings and period fittings. A double room costs Y23,000.

If you go to Osaka, a new Western-style hotel is the Monterey at 3-45-3 Umeda Kita-ku (tel: 0081 06 6458-7111). Central and luxurious, it costs Y26,000 to Y30,000 for a double room.

Eating out

There's more to Japanese cuisine than sushi, tempura and bento boxes. The tourist office has lists of Japanese and Western restaurants, or just look around town ­ many places display plastic replicas of the meals, so point at what you want. Okaro in the Higashi-muki shopping arcade near Kintetsu Nara station specialises in okonomi-yaki, or Japanese pancake. The centre of each table is given over to a large iron hotplate on which egg batter, noodles and other ingredients are mixed, fried and flipped before your eyes. The result is huge ­ you may want to go halves. Throw in a couple of beers and you'll spend about Y1,000 each.

If you eat at your ryokan, you'll be taking pot luck but won't go hungry. The dishes crowding the table at Furuichi included grilled eel, rice, miso soup, sweetened soya beans, squid, pickled vegetables, raw tuna, a raw white fish, shredded radish, fish balls, pan-fried steak, aubergine and onion, deep-fried prawns, seaweed, tofu, smoked fish in a savoury custard, candied chestnut and, of course, green tea. There were many things I could not identify. Some dishes were fantastic; others, frankly, disturbing.

Getting there

If it's just a stopover, your travel is free. If Japan is your only destination, return fares to Kansai airport start from £544 with Japan Airlines (tel: 0845 776 7700). Train or bus into the city is about Y1,800 each way.

Further information

The Japan National Tourist Board (tel: 020 7734 9638, web: www.jnto.go.jp) offers advice and maps and advises on how to arrange a volunteer guide. This can take a couple of weeks to arrange, so book well ahead. Nara's City Tourist Centre (tel: 0742 22-3900) is near Kintetsu Nara train station.

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