Nara in Spring

My fourth trip to Nara carried on a theme from two of the previous trips, rain. One of my Japanese coworkers recommended Nara as a great place to see Sakura, so I planned this trip accordingly. Unfortunately, neither the Sakura or weather cooperated. Most of the Sakura were still in bud stage and the rain made it so I didn't much care to stand outside and admire them anyway. The highlight of the trip was lunch at Tempura Asuka a recommendation from the Fodors guidebook. The tempura was crisp, but I was most impressed by the variety and presentation of other items contained in my bento. This time in Nara I introduced M to my favorite places in the area, Kofuku-ji,Kasuga Taisha,and Todai-ji (the home of big Buddha) which maintains its position as my favorite attraction in Japan.