Things To Do In Nara - June
- NARA Visitor Center & Inn
- May 31
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 7
June is the start of the rainy season across Japan. Things to do in Nara for June are mostly centered around temples and shrines, including hydrangeas, lilies, special viewings, healthful sake, and Shinto purification rites. June is a great month for indoor events, and we highlight the best museums and galleries around Nara. From late May into mid-June is the best time to get out and see glow-worms and fireflies. For more fun things, take a peak at ongoing hands-on experiences happening throughout Nara Prefecture. Lastly, make sure you have your umbrella on hand, and take it with you when you leave the train!
Best things to do in Nara in June 2025:
Hydrangeas galore at Yata-dera Temple (full mnth)
Fireflies and glow-worms lighting up Nara (~mid-mnth)
Unique cultural experiences in Nara (all year)
Ofusa Kannon Temple rose festival (~06/10)
Abemonju-in Temple summer treasure exhibition (full mnth)
Irises, rose and hydrangeas at Umami Hillside Park (full mnth)
Best museums in Nara for a rainy day (all year)
1. Hydrangeas Galore at Yata-dera Temple!
Date: Early June into July
Entry: 700 yen
Time: 09:30 to 16:30
Location: 3506 Yatacho, Yamato-Koriyama City
Transport: From Kintetsu Koriyama Station, take the bus to “Yokoyamaguchi” and walk for 20 min to Yata-dera Temple. *Direct temporary buses run on weekends from June 7 to 22.
Yata-dera Temple, also known as Kongosen-ji, is Nara’s most loved temple for hydrangeas, or ‘ajisai’ in Japanese. The temple has an amazing 10,000 blooming plants of 60 different species. Many people may not know that hydrangeas are originally native to Japan.
Yata-dera Temple houses one of Japan’s oldest Jizo Bosatsu statues and is said to be the origin of Jizo worship in Japan. Jizo is worshipped as a protector of women, children, and travelers and statues are often seen along the roadside or hiking trail cross paths. The temple planted hydrangeas because the flower shape represents the jewel that Jizo holds in his hand. Also, when each petal of a hydrangea is hit by rain, it changes color in various ways, conveying the Buddhist idea of impermanence.
From May 31 (Sat) - June 30 (Mon) there will be a special viewing of the temple's main Jizo statue. Entry is a separate 500 yen.
Other Places for Hydrangeas June
There are other popular temples in Nara to see and photograph hydrangeas. Here are a few other options:
Hase-dera Temple in Sakurai City has flowers for all seasons, including hydrangeas! You can also view the giant Kannon statue chamber.
Hannya-ji Temple is 10 minutes by bus from Kintetsu Nara Station and, although more famous for its cosmos flowers, is a good spot for hydrangeas too.
Oka-dera Temple in Asuka has a display of potted hydrangeas.
Tsubosaka-dera Temple in Takatori, famous for its Sakura Buddha has a display of potted hydrangeas.
2. Fireflies and Glow Worms Lighting Up Nara
Tracking down fireflies is always a fun activity from mid-May into early June. A rare type of firefly, or rather glow-worm, can be seen near to Nara Park along the back approach to Nigatsu-do Temple. You will see fences along the stream to prevent people from disturbing the delicate environment. They are known as Genji glow worms or Daibutsu fireflies, and are best seen around 8 to 9 p.m.
Another firefly area are the stunning gardens of the Keihanna Commemorative Park, just over the border in Kyoto and you can catch a train from Kintetsu-Saidaiji Station. Other prime locations for these luminous bugs are mostly out in the countryside in places such as Kake Park in Soni Village, Maruyama Park in Mitsue Village, near the Murou Ryuketsu-jinja Shrine in Uda City as well as Tenkawa and Totsukawa villages.
3. Nara City’s Oldest Shrine Has a Lily Festival
Date: Mon. June 17
Entry: Free
Time: 10:30 to 13:15
Location: 18 Honkomoricho, Nara
Transport: 7 min walk for Nara JR or Kintetsu stations
The Isagawa-jinjya Shrine, Nara City’s oldest Shinto shrine, hosts its annual lily or Saikasu festival from 17 June, starting at 10:30 a.m. The festival honors an imperial princess and wards off disease and disasters. It includes barrels of white and black sake decorated with lilies. This shrine is only a 5-minute-walk due south of Kintetsu-Nara Station, so it’s easy to pop by.
4. Unique Cultural Experiences in Nara
Throughout the year, there are always unique hands-on experiences you can enjoy in Nara. At NARA Visitor Center & Inn, we have an authentic tea room available for private Tea Ceremonies in English.
Pottery is another popular hands-on experiences in Nara, including decorative features used on traditional temple roofing. You can experience the spirit of Bushido with Nara’s unique Kyudo Experience in a traditional wooden dojo. Throughout Nara Prefecture there are things to do such as bamboo whisk making, indigo cloth dying, sake brewery tours and much more. See our unique experiences post for full details.
5. Ofusa Kannon Temple Rose Festival
Date: May 15 to June 30
Entry: 500 yen
Time: 07:00 to 17:00
Location: 6-22 Kobocho, Kashihara City
Transport: Bus or taxi or walk from Yamato Yagi Station
If you missed roses in May, you can still catch blooms at Ofusa Kannon Temple, especially within the first week of June. The rose garden, lovingly cultivated by the temple staff, has recently been focusing on English rose varieties. Ofusa Kannon is also well-known for its historic and traditional tearooms. From Yamato-Yagi Station it's a 25-min walk and from JR Unebi Station it's 10-min on foot, but trains are less frequent.
6. Sake Cures Your Ills at Daian-ji Temple
Date: Mon. June 23
Entry: 400 yen
Time: 08:00 to 16:00
Location: 2-18-1 Daianji, Nara
Transport: Bus from JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara Station bound for Daianji, Sharp-mae or Shiratsuchi-cho and alight at Daianji.
Daian-ji Temple near to Nara City has its seasonal Take Kuyo Summer Festival. The biannual festival commemorates the Emperor Konin (708-781) who would come to Daian-ji Temple to pray and drink sake in the surrounding bamboo forest. At the entrance on the day you will receive a bamboo cup and kimono clad ladies will pour sake into it from bamboo rods. The sake is believed to have curative properties, especially for cancer.
7. Summer Purification Rituals at Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Date: Mon. June 30
Entry: Free
Time: 15:00
Location: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Transport: 20-min walk from Kintetsu Nara Station
Shinto shrines often hold purification ceremonies at the changing of the seasons. At the Kasuga-taisha Shrine, you can attend their Nagoshi no Oharaeshiki event on June 30, starting at 15:00 in front of the Haraedo Shrine. Attendees get to walk through a straw circle as part of the cleansing ritual. Similar events are held at the end of June at many Shinto shrines.
8. Abemonju-in Temple Summer Treasure Exhibition
Date: June 01 to Aug. 31
Entry: From 700 yen to 1,200 yen
Time: 09:00 to 17:00
Location: 645 Abe, Sakurai City,
Transport: Bus or 25-min walk from JR or Kintetsu Sakurai station
For two months starting in June, Abemonju-in Temple will hold a special Summer Treasure Exhibition. During this time you can see statues and cultural artifacts that are usually hidden from the public including twelve deities of Enma-ten, Brahma, and Niten. Abemonju-in Temple is one of the oldest temples in Japan and its principal image is the Manjushri Bodhisattva (Wisdom Buddha) - a national treasure and one of the largest in the country.
9. Irises, Roses and Hydrangeas at Umami Hillside Park
Umami Park Hills or Umami Kyuryo Park is a large public park area in North Katsuragi. There are numerous flower gardens, but irises are the key feature of June. You can also view hydrangeas and roses into the first week of the month. It tends to be very popular during the summer, and parking can be congested. Pets are not permitted in the park, you can bring packed lunch but there are no trash cans in the park, so you should take your trash back with you.
From Ikebe Station on the Kintetsu Tawaramoto Line it’s about a 17-min walk.
From Goido Station on the Kintetsu Osaka Line, take the bus for about 16 minutes.
10. Best Museums in Nara for a Rainy Day
If you get caught off-guard by the rain or would rather play it safer indoors, why not add a few of Nara’s best museums to your list? On the way to Nara Park is the Nara National Museum heading straight up from Kintetsu Nara Station. On the other side of Omiya-Dori you will find the Nara Prefectural Art Museum.
There are various other unique and interesting museums such as the Goldfish and Ikimono museums near the Heijo Palace, which are quite suited for families and children.
See our series Best Museums in Nara post which includes places nearby to eat! Part 1 & 2 of the series covers the city including the Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography and Part 3 has even more undercover options this rainy season in other parts of the prefecture.
What’s on in Nara! - Music and The Arts, June 2025
04/19‒06/15: Nara National Museum 130th Anniversary Special Exhibition, Super National Treasures - The Brilliance of Prayer, a grand collection of national Buddhist treasures, 09:30‒17:00, 2,200 yen
05/03‒07/13: Atsuyuki Uemura Memorial Exhibition, famed Japanese painter of esp. birds, Shouhaku Art Museum, 10:00‒17:00, 820 yen.
05/31-07/06: 100th Anniversary Nakamura Masayoshi, renowned Japanese modernist, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, 09:00-17:00, 1,200 yen.
06/01: Yamato Drummers of Japan, Pegasus Hall Kamimakicho Cultural Center, all seats reserved 5 500 yen, 14:00-16:00.
06/14: Suirin Shooku Classical Music Event, Japanese Western classical composers in an Edo Era house. Doors open at 14:30 for a 15:00 start, 4,000 yen.
06/28: Nara Miyako String Orchestra Spring Concert, Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann, and Mozart, DMG MORI Yamato Koriyama Castle Hall, free admission, 14:00-15:40.
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Things To Do In Nara
Author: NARA Visitor Center & Inn
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