Nara

Nara is known for its magnificent Buddhist temples called "Nanto Shichi Daiji" (the seven great temples of Nanto, another name of Nara).

They are: Daian-ji, founded during the Asuka period; Gango-ji, with its Hondo (main hall), the Zen room and a miniature (5.5 m tall) of the five-story pagoda; Horyu-ji, one of the oldest wooden building in the world; Kofuku-ji, with its five-story pagoda; Saidai-ji, or the Great Western Temple; Todai-ji, that houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha; Yakushi-ji, with the East Pagoda, one of the finest pagoda in Japan.

All these temples with the shinto Kasuga Shrine and the near Kasugayama Primeval Forest are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.