Nara, Japan
I’ve been thinking about Japan a lot lately as I’m mentally preparing to be a ninja in this summer’s water ballet (this year’s show is Strange Customs: A Flurry Family Odyssey). Anyway, more to come on that in forthcoming posts, but for now I’m in Japan mode and am totally drawn to Anna[matic]’s latest creation – a map of Nara to commemorate her most recent trip. Anna always puts together amazing city guides upon returning from her trips – mostly throughout Asia – with great photos, but I love how she opened this post with something she created based on her experiences (it’s a great city- make sure you feed the deer!). In case you missed it, you can catch Annamatic’s Boarding Pass feature (the debut of the column!) here, and don’t miss all of her fantastic (and useful) city guides through the eye of a foodie/designer here.
thecaffeinatedtraveller
July 10, 2009 at 3:23 pm //
Beautifully crafted map, wish I had this when I lived in Nara. It’s a wondeful place to visit not just the city but the Nara prefecture is filled with history and colour. If you are interested in collecting kimonos and obes there is a good shop in a small arcade in Nara city worth visiting.
Cate
jen laceda
July 10, 2009 at 5:01 pm //
Growing up in the Philippines, I would usually vacation in Japan with my family, including my grandmother who’s a Buddhist. We always visited temples in Nara, and I remember enjoying the tranquility. One specific moment I loved: A cloudy April morning under an umbrella, visiting a temple amidst a bamboo forest! That was 1984!
Janet
July 10, 2009 at 5:33 pm //
Didn’t make it to Nara when I was in Japan earlier this year. But, gosh, what a fbulous map!
So many wonderful goodies over here to catch up on.
MJ
July 11, 2009 at 1:54 am //
Oh! I love Nara! I only got a day to explore Nara but it was beautiful!
annamatic
July 11, 2009 at 5:18 am //
Hi Anne ~ thanks so much for the shoutout! that was just the kick in the pants i needed to work on my kyoto guide… yeah, lately i’m into handdrawn maps, totally inspired by the Flickr Illustrated Maps group!
Adeje
July 12, 2009 at 8:11 pm //
Love the map, really worth taking the time over.