A town where both deer and people coexist in harmony: Naramachi, Nara Prefecture

　The entire city of Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, is a World Heritage site and is famous as a tourist destination where deer live. "Naramachi", a residential area in one corner of the city, is full of unique charm in that people from outside are accepted with kindness despite its long history.

In this residential area, there are stores that support the lives of locals in various ways while preserving the history, tradition and technology.

We hope that you will stroll through Naramachi's stores and experience the lives of locals as well as the tradition.

For more than 800 years, "Kikuoka Traditional Japanese Medicine Speciality Pharmacy" has cared for people's health at Naramachi

▲Mr. Kikuoka, the 24th owner of the store, is so kind as to welcome people from outside who visit there for interviews

While he and a visitor seat themselves face to face, he listens in detail to the visitor's symptoms and concerns, then prepares and provides medicine suitable for the visitor. This is a sight not seen in present-day drugstores, and even people from outside the city visit there for consultations. The pharmacy is concerned for and supports people's health flexibly according to the season, for example by caring about summer fatigue in the current season and a cold constitution in the winter.

"Yoshida Kacho (mosquito net)", which supports present-day life, utilizing technology and material

In the olden days, when there were no electric fans or air conditioners, people would leave windows open while asleep in the hot summer and hang "mosquito nets" from the ceiling to protect themselves from mosquitoes, and mosquito net making was very popular in Nara. The fabric of mosquito nets, hemp, is highly water-absorbent, odor-resistant and clean, and is utilized today as kitchen cloths, luncheon mats and stoles.

▲"Mosquito nets" no longer seen in Japan

"Kashiya" hands down ice to this day, which was too expensive for citizens to eat

▲This shaved ice can be enjoyed from early May through October. Warabimochi (bracken-starch dumplings), adzuki beans, white rice-flour dumplings and green rice-flour dumplings are placed on the upper side, while agar is placed at the bottom of the bowl. It is served with matcha green tea.

　In the olden days, ice was a rarely available luxury item and was coveted by citizens as a food for special occasions. Therefore, ice has an image of "being expensive". This store uses carefully selected foodstuffs, including warabimochi, and pays particular attention to bowls, offering items worth more than their prices. The store also arranges seasonal Japanese sweets in the store window in an attempt to let passers-by enjoy the season visually.

<Recommended as a souvenir> "Siki" socks, which gently wrap feet as if to be marshmallow

Nara has long since been a major producer of cotton, which has been utilized to make socks, and is now a "city of socks" with the largest output in Japan. Many of those who have foot problems come here to look for socks that suit them. The material of the socks at this store is organic cotton that absorbs sweat easily and has a unique texture.

▲The store blends into one corner of the residential area and is used by locals with a feeling of closeness.

Editor's note

All of the stores that we visited this time have a long history, but they have accepted the changes of the times instead of resting solely on their history, and support people's lives with new attempts. The owners of the stores all say the same thing: "Naramachi is a place where people from outside Nara are also accepted with kindness". I think this message is a major factor in the stores' support for the locals.

Naramachi has many old-fashioned streetscapes, but unlike Kyoto, it gives a laid-back atmosphere. There is not much pedestrian traffic in the town, and it is wonderful to take a leisurely stroll and discover something new.

Writer's Profile

After graduating from an art college, the writer worked for a company for planning and designing commercial facilities, where he was involved in the design and tenant leasing of large-scale commercial facilities. Currently, he is in charge of interview articles for "Japan Shopping Now" at the Japan Shopping Tourism Organization, loves to observe commercial facilities and specialty stores in Japan and abroad, and focuses on transmission of information about the Kansai area, residing in Osaka.

Access to Naramachi

Accessible from Kansai International Airport / Osaka International (Itami) Airport by Limousine bus, and also from Kintetsu Nara Station

Store Locations

Kikuoka Traditional Japanese Medicine Speciality Pharmacy: 3, Nakanoshinya-cho, Nara City　　

Yoshida Kacho: 1 Shibanoshinya-cho, Nara City

Kashiya: 22-3 Chuin-cho, Nara City

Siki: 18 Takamikado-cho, Nara City

※Each store is about a 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.