By Sam Evans. The villages of East Nara and Nabari comprise a rural area of Japan that, although seemingly a world away from the bustling streets of nearby Nara City, Kyoto and Osaka, can be reached from all these popular tourist spots in less than an hour and a half by train.
The region is a traditional-Japan lover's paradise, being rich in history; its quaint outposts boasting a plethora of stunning nature spots, points of local culture and, of course, great food. Although the Kintetsu Osaka Line traverses the region and serves the relatively well-populated areas around Nabari and Haibara stations, by far the most convenient way to get around is by rental car, of which there are outlets around Nabari Station as well as Yamato Yagi Station towards Nara City.
With this in mind, I was eager to begin my exciting journey exploring this somewhat little-known side of Japan. To start off my first day of exploration around this stunning region, I headed to the Akame 48 Waterfalls in Nabari City; a natural paradise known for its 48 picturesque waterfalls that are set against exquisite scenery.
The area is popular with hikers and is home to Japan's native species of giant salamander. A specimen, as well as other giant salamander species from Japan and different parts of Asia, are on show at the Japan Salamander Center at the foot of the hiking area. After viewing waterfalls and salamanders, I headed over to pick strawberries at Shorenjiko Strawberry Picking Farm. The farm is nestled in the outskirts of Nabari City and is different to many strawberry picking facilities in that visitors do not need a reservation prior to visiting.
The sessions allow customers to navigate the rows of the approximately meter-squared enclosed field area, picking and eating as many strawberries as they desire within the allotted time slot. My visit here made for a delicious experience that I recommend for visitors to the area. Next it was off to take a stroll around Country Park Oko, a park in Yamazoe Village that hosts a popular spring festival every year in which thousands flock to see the approximately two hundred cherry trees in bloom.
