About Nara

Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara. As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784.

Nara is located in the Kinai plain, less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples.

Local Information

Weather:  
On average, the coolest month is January with an average high of 46°F and an average low of 30 °F.  Clothing such as overcoats and sweaters are highly recommended.

Currency:
The unit of Japanese currency is the yen.  Coins are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen and bank notes in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000.

Electricity:
The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100 volts, A.C.  A convertible type of electrical appliance such as a hair dryer, travel iron and shaver will therefore be handy; otherwise a step-down transformer is required to convert the voltage.

There are no columnar-shaped plugs or 3-pin plugs used in Japan. 2-flat-pin plugs are used instead. It is therefore advisable to purchase a plug adapter prior to your trip.

Time Differences:

All of Japan is in the same time zone, 9 hours ahead of G.M.T. No Daylight Savings Time is practiced in Japan.