City Guide
Directions: Nara
STAY
Kidera No Ie
When we arrived in Nara, we checked into Kidera No Ie Kiji no Ie. An old machiya that has been completely renovated. Rather than a hotel, it offers five welcoming and entirely independent houses, furnished and equipped from floor to ceiling. The kitchen, bathroom and living room complement a traditional tatami room. Sliding paper doors open onto small individual gardens where the wooden hinoki tub also does.
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Garden.02
Wooden bath.Since breakfast is included, it really feels like home, with the added bonus of service. You decide what time and on the dot you will hear a little knock. You are given an old steal frame that you unpack and serve your own Japanese breakfast.
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Traditional Japanese breakfast.04
A peaceful morning.Miroku was the second hotel we stayed in Nara. As part of The Share Hotel group, it's their latest hotel, built super central to everything. With a clean design, crisp white sheets and furniture from Karimoku Case Study and Ishinomaki Lab, we highly recommend for comfort and convenience.
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Comfortable bed.In the afternoon you can have a cold drink and watch the deers on the mountain.
Onyado Nono Nara Hotel
This traditional style hotel has a bunch of natural hot springs on the first floor. It’s the perfect way to finish or start the day. While this hotel makes you take your shoes off before you enter, it actually gives you a nice sense of Japanese living. The buffet style Japanese breakfast is also one of the better ones we have had.
EAT
Huerto
Spanish tapas and natural wines.
Yakitori Ondori
A tiny Yakatori bar.
Minamo
In an old traditional house that’s been tastefully renovated, Minamo is quite the experience. The concrete and raw timber beams with creamy leather and steel detailing is a minimalist’s dream. We ordered the curry and it was delightful, as were the women running the kitchen.
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Huerto.07
Yakitori Ondori.08
Master of Yakitori.COFFEE:
Any - run by a wife and husband duo, they roast their own beans, make their own baked goods and run two cafes in the area. It's delicious - we even sell it in our store.
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Any coffee.DO:
Kita Saké Brewery Tour
If you’re a saké drinker then we highly recommend a visit to Kita Saké Brewery. Here you will learn about the long process of making this delicious rice wine. We learnt about why some saké cost way more than others and how some have added alcohol and others not. Oh, and you get to try them too.
Nara Park
If you’ve heard of Nara before, chances are it’s because of the deer. We knew they were famous for them but we didn’t realise they just roam the city. No joke, we saw one crossing the road at the traffic lights. They’re very friendly but if you buy the cookies to feed them don’t hesitate - they get mad. But hey, so would we if you were dangling a cookie in front of us. You'll find loads of them wandering around Nara Park as well as many other cool things in this epic park.
Kasuga-Taisha
Tōdai-ji
Hand-dying workshop
Eboshi Senhoku Creator is an original textile brand by Minako Inamura. The workshop takes place in an old converted oil factory. Here you use natural dyes made from seaweed and use traditional stencils to create a little masterpiece.
SHOP:
Kauri
With a similar feel to Provider, this little shop sells local and antique ceramics, green tea, roasted coffee and other cute home things. We picked up a couple of personal souvenirs from here on our last day.
Nakagawa Masashichi
Bitowa Naramachi Antiques
Having a close relationship with JETRO (Japanese external trade organisation) they had set up a very busy schedule in Nara, meeting craftspeople and workshops. So we selected our top four for you.
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Nara.Textile
Tucked away in a residential area of Nara, lives the most beautiful house and workshop and a very talented woman, Mieko Tsuchiya. Here they weave, sew and dye fabric by hand on old looms – they even spin their own yarn.
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traditional loom.12
Such a lovey time seeing the workshop.Craft
After a long drive to Tokoyama, we met a master chasen maker (tea whisk). We have never seen such incredible skills performed in front of us. It takes 15 years to earn such a title (that’s one long apprenticeship). We learnt about different types of Chasen - how it’s a fading craft, yet the demand is high. After we watched him make a chasen, we were invited into their Japan home for a tea ceremony.
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Master chasen maker.1. 片木(Hegi): peel one-third of the bamboo skin and divide it into 16 equal parts. Then separate skin and endodermis each of the parts, and cut out the endodermis. 2. 小割(Kowari): divide 1 mm divided into 0.4mm and 0.6mm. 3. 味削り(Ajikezuri): Make the all bristles thinner just like your hair. 4. 面取り(Mentori): Shave the edge each of the bristles to round off the corners. 5. 下編み(Shitaami): Separate inner(0.4mm) and outer(0.6mm) bristles alternately with a thread. 6. 上編み(Uwaami): To keep the shape of the Chasen, knit the inner and outer bristles twice. 7. 仕上げ(Shiage): Arrange the each of the bristles to make beautiful shape.
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Learning about tea whisks.Ceramics
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Ceramics in Nara.In 2019 we visited the Akahada-yaki Gyozo Furuse workshop in 2019 and did a pottery class with the master. It was such a pleasure to go back (and pick up the bowl we made).
Gyozo Furuse contains three climbing kilns of large, medium, and small sizes. Of those two kilns, the large one built at the end of the Edo period (1800s) and the medium kiln built in 1951, as well as the former work place and exhibition place, are listed in Japan as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties.
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We made it to Nara's local newspaper.17
Wood fire kilnCity Hall.
On our last day in Nara we went to City Hall to have a meeting with the Mayor, Mr. Nakagawa. Sitting in a room with lots of people in suits was a little nerve racking, however everyone one was so happy to greet Provider Store. Mr. Nakagawa wanted to learn more about our business and the relationship we have to Nara and its craftspeople. He was so happy with the relationship we have formed with Nara and Japan that he gave us a special gift as a gesture of appreciation.
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Tara and the Mayor of Nara.19
A special gift from the Mayor.Provider Tips
Tip One —
Pack slip-ons. In a particularly traditional city, you’ll have to take your shoes on and off before entering a lot of places. Slip-ons would’ve saved us a lot of time.
Tip Two —
Nara is famous for ‘kakinoha’ sushi, which is basically sushi wrapped in a leaf, not seaweed. You’re not meant to eat the leaf. We found this out on the last day :/