After the crowd in Central Kyoto, the wide and sprawling space and parks in Nara is such a welcome break. You can almost feel you are one with nature, especially since deer are roaming freely around. One such place is the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Garden of Kasuga Taisha Shrine. A World Heritage Site and considered a sacred forest. But then as you walk further down the road, this warm and cozy-looking café is right there by the roadside. Welcome to the Kasuga Ninai Jaya!

Warabimochi is a very popular summer sweet in Japan. Even though it is available in all parts of Japan, the Kansai region is famous for this sweet item.