Nara

Nara was Japan's first permanent capital, established in 710. The city is famous for its free-roaming deer in Nara Park, considered messengers of the gods, and for Todai-ji Temple which houses the world's largest bronze Buddha statue in the world's largest wooden building. Over 1,000 deer roam freely in the park and surrounding areas, and visitors can purchase deer crackers (shika senbei) to feed them. Other highlights include Kasuga Taisha shrine with its thousands of stone and bronze lanterns, and Kofuku-ji Temple's five-story pagoda. The town is compact and easily explored on foot from either Kintetsu Nara or JR Nara Station. Nara makes an excellent day trip from Kyoto (35 minutes) or Osaka (45 minutes), though an overnight stay allows a more relaxed pace.