Naramachi

I’ve visited Nara several times but always to the temple area. If it was not for Nihonshu I would have never have ventured out here.
You can find some really nice old buildings, shops, restaurants and even a Chinese herbal store. There is even a museum for old style Japanese toys and it’s free.
You can also find one Nara’s Nihonshu brewery.
It’s a great place to walk around and see another side of Nara.

Visit the old town of Nara if you are in the city for more than a daytrip! Naramachi is where you will find many old buildings dating back to at least the Edo Period and even the new buildings that must conform to the city codes to be similar to the old buildings, so you can get a good feel of what it is like to walk down an old Japanese street!
Aside from walking past old buildings, Naramachi has some small free museums that display mini exhibits of the Nara life back in the days. Some souvenir shops of various kinds are also spread throughout the neighborhood.
How do you know if you are in Naramachi? The building doors will have a rope of red ornaments that resemble monkeys, a specialty of Naramachi! Take an hour or two to stroll in the morning or afternoon to experience old Nara.