OSAKA — Those who live in Nara and welcome guests from all over the world are aware of how often arriving friends are surprised by what they see in the ancient capital, then disappointed that they hadn't budgeted enough time to explore.
Such visitors commonly lament that if they had only known how much Nara has to offer, they would have rearranged their itinerary.
Knowing Nara's true nature has always been a problem for foreign visitors. Most English guidebooks are chock full of information about modern Tokyo and traditional Kyoto, but Nara tends to get short shift. A nice day trip if you have time is how certain overseas guidebooks sum up the city and prefecture.