Nara Visitor Center & Inn

Nara Prefecture Sarusawa Visitor Center & Inn is an information hub for international visitors that opened in 2015 after renovating the former local government employees’ mutual aid lodging “Sarusawa-so,” which had been discontinued. It features a tourist information counter and an exchange lounge space, and also includes accommodation facilities. It has become popular thanks to its strong location, up-to-date facilities, and well-regarded staff hospitality. Access is about a 7-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and about a 14-minute walk from JR Nara Station. The in-house tourist information desk can provide service in English, Chinese, and Korean. It offers transportation and dining discount tickets, foreign currency exchange, bicycle rentals, and tour arrangements. It also hosts Japanese cultural experience activities such as calligraphy, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and kimono dressing. Nearby are Naramachi (Nara’s old town area), Gango-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, and the Nara National Museum, making it an excellent base for walking and exploring the surroundings.