Top 5 Photogenic Gourmet Foods & Souvenirs of Nara | Instagram-Worthy Sweets & Street Snacks

The ancient capital of Nara isn't just deer and shrines and temples! It's packed with "photogenic gourmet" that's a hot topic on social media. We carefully select spots where you can take cute photos while eating around.

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1. Nakatanidou | Snap Endless Photos of Piping-Hot, Chewy Mugwort Mochi

When it comes to gourmet representing Nara, it's the mugwort mochi of Nakatanidou, right by Kintetsu Nara Station. The artisans' "ultra-high-speed mochi pounding" is spectacular just to watch! Freshly pounded mochi stretches in a smooth way, and its vivid green is utterly photogenic.

• Why it's photogenic: The contrast of vivid mugwort green and the gold of kinako (roasted soybean flour) is beautiful
• Best shooting time: The morning hours when natural light streams in shoot softly
• Shooting angle: Aiming for the moment you lift the mochi a little and stretch it is ideal
• Access: About 5 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station, along the Higashimuki shopping street

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2. Kurumi no Ki | Nostalgic Photogenic at an Old-House Cafe

Kurumi no Ki, standing quietly in a residential area of Nara City, is a stylish cafe renovated from an old house. Plates and sweets using seasonal ingredients have outstanding plating sense, achieving "just-set-it-down photogenic."

• Why it's photogenic: The natural worldview created by the wood-warm space and the green of plants
• Best season: Spring to early summer of fresh greenery, when the courtyard green is most beautiful
• Shooting angle: Shooting straight from above at a window seat finishes it magazine-style
• Access: About 15 minutes by bus from Kintetsu Nara Station, right by the "Teishaba" bus stop

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3. Tenpyo-an | The Nara-Like Yamato Sanzan Roll Takes Center Stage

The "Yamato Sanzan Roll" of Tenpyo-an, a sweets brand representing Nara, is also very popular as a Nara souvenir. The fluffy roll cake has soft hues, beautiful enough to make a picture wherever you cut it.

• Why it's photogenic: The milky-white smooth cream is elegant, with outstanding compatibility with Japanese tableware
• Best shooting time: Shooting in a bright indoor space during the day makes the whiteness stand out
• Shooting angle: A 45-degree angle showing the cross-section is the standard! Adding tea boosts the Japanese atmosphere
• Access: Multiple shops within Nara City. Around Kintetsu Nara Station is convenient

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4. Harushika (Imanishi Seibei Shoten) | An Adult Photogenic Experience with Nara's Local Sake

At Harushika, a long-established sake brewery in Naramachi, you can enjoy a tasting experience of 5 kinds for 500 yen. The clear sake poured into the ochoko cups is beautiful, shining like jewels when held up to the light. The small souvenir bottles are so cute you'll want to collect them.

• Why it's photogenic: The glass ochoko and clear sake shine fantastically as they catch the light
• Best shooting time: The afternoon hours when light streams in boost the sparkle
• Shooting angle: Using backlight and shooting with the brewery's wooden pillars as a background gives a great atmosphere
• Access: About 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station, within Naramachi

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5. Deer Sable (Saneido) | A Staple Nara Souvenir That's Actually Extremely Photogenic

The "deer sable" of Saneido, a long-established Japanese sweets shop in Nara, is a simple but adorable deer-shaped cookie. The "uniquely Nara" staging of taking a photo together with a real deer is supremely humorous!

• Why it's photogenic: The surreal shot lining up a real deer and the sable becomes a photogenic photo that makes you laugh
• Best season: The refreshing days of spring and autumn, the hours when deer move about actively
• Shooting angle: Holding the sable in hand at Nara Park and shooting with the deer blurred in the background is recommended
• Access: About 10 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station. There are also shops around Nara Park

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A gourmet trip to Nara is packed with not only the joy of eating but also of "shooting." Be sure to leave behind a special photo all your own!

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\ When posting to social media, make use of these hashtags /

`#NaraGourmet` `#NaraSweets` `#NaraEatingAround` `#NaraSouvenirs` `#NaraCafe` `#Naramachi` `#NaraTravel` `#InstagrammableNara` `#NaraParkGourmet` `#TabitabiJAPAN`