Best 7 Things to Do in Nara at Night

Does Nara have nightlife? Yes, it does. In Nara at night, there are bars for you to relax by watching live performances, shopping street to taste delicious night snacks, and the peaceful park to enjoy tranquil atmosphere and the scenic night view of the city.

1. Taste Authentic Sake in Japanese Sake Bars

As Nara is the cradle of sake (a kind of Japanese wine), tasting authentic sake while traveling in this city is a must-do. In the city, there are many breweries with over 100 years’ history and they sell sakes of different tastes in sake bars of their own. For example, some sakes have the fragrance of fruits and flowers, some with strong alcoholic smell, and some with aroma of beans. One recommended sake bar is Kuramoto Houshuku Nara.

Nara Sake Bar

2. Relax in Western Bars

If you prefer the atmosphere of west bars, Nara still has tops where you can enjoy western drinks and live performances to relax. La Terrace Irise, La Terrasse, Lamp Bar, Nakamuraya, and Hot Staff are all very popular. Among them, Lamp Bar ranked among the top 50 bars in Asia in 2024. The Bar’s cocktail wine combines the mellow of Japanese sake with the fragrance of plants,

3. Enjoy Night Snacks at Higashimuki Shopping Street

Higashimuki Shopping Street is one of the most bustling shopping streets in Nara. Here, there are many restaurants, dessert shops, and Japanese Izakayas. At night, many Japanese people would come here to delicious night snacks, including sushi, grilled chicken, tempura, pickles, and ramen.

Higashimuki Shopping Street

4. Appreciate Nara Night View in Nara Park

Nara Park is the most famous site in Nara for cute deer and scenic landscapes. Unlike the lively atmosphere during the daytime, walking in the Park at night, you may feel an inner peace. In the darkness, you can still watch cute deer either stroll under trees or sleeping on the lawn. In addition, the temples and shrines in the park look more solemn and mysterious with lights shining from themselves.

5. Soak in Dorogawa Onsen

If you want to enjoy the quietness of Nara at night, soaking in Dorogawa Onsen is a good choice. The Onsen resort is located in deep mountains, thus away from the hustle and bustle. In addition, with 10 – 15 minutes soaking in hot spring, your tiredness of traveling would be greatly relieved.

Nara Dorogawa Onsen

6. Stay in Local Homestay

To feel Nara’s life atmosphere, the best way is to stay around Naramachi. It is a living area filled with historical atmosphere for the nearby well-preserved rows of Japanese wooden houses, some of which are still local residences. You can reserve a ryokan or homestay for 1 night stay.

Homestay in Nara

7. Night Events in Nara

Sometimes, some night activities like lightening lanterns would be held Nara’s in parks and shrines like bellow ones:

Activities	Time	Location
Wakakusa Yamayaki (Burning Mountain Ceremony)	January	Mountain Wakakusa
Lightening Lanterns	February 3rd	Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Lightening Lantern	Valentine’s Day in February	Nara Park
Night Light Illumination for watching Sakura and red leaves	Mid-March – Mid-April	Todai-ji Temple
Lightening lanterns	Mid-August	Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Firework show	July – August	Entire Nara
Museum Works Exhibition	Each spring and autumn and the specific date is not fixed	Nara National Museum

In spite of all the above, Nara’s nightlife is not as colorful as that in metropolis like Osaka and Tokyo. If you enjoy a more lively atmosphere at night, Osaka is a better choice and it is only 1 hour’ train journey from Nara.