Nara Prison Museum and Hoshinoya Nara Prison: Nara Prison is one of the so-called “Five Major Prisons” (Nara, Chiba, Kanazawa, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima). Among them, this is reportedly the only one where the entire structure of the buildings once in use has been preserved. Perhaps the fact that it remained an active facility until 2017 (operating as the Nara Juvenile Correctional Facility from 1946 onward) contributed to the preservation of its original atmosphere. The facility adopted the “Haviland System,” in which inmate quarters radiate outward from a central guardhouse; there were five dormitories, numbered from First to Fifth. Of these, Dormitory No. 3 is maintained in its original state as part of the Nara Prison Museum, while the other four buildings have been renovated and converted into hotel guest rooms. In school history classes, perhaps because they cover such a long period—from the Jōmon and Yayoi periods to the present day—there seems to be a tendency for the narrative to rush through the material as we move down the timeline. This tendency seems particularly pronounced when it comes to the modern period, starting with the Meiji era. As a result, the coverage inevitably ends up being little more than a cursory overview of the basics. Perhaps because of this, it was during this press tour that I first learned that the establishment of modern prisons and the enactment of related laws and systems were part of the efforts to abolish the so-called unequal treaties. It is said that this was one of the measures taken to demonstrate to other countries that Japan was a modern state governed by the rule of law. At the “Nara Prison Museum,” visitors can not only tour the facility but also learn about these historical circumstances, the evolution of the prison system up to the present day, and modern prisons. Guests staying at the hotel can visit the museum freely via a dedicated route. The sense of being in an extraordinary setting—unique to a facility that makes use of a historic building—is likely the main attraction of staying here. However, it must have been quite challenging to balance the charm of this building, designated as an Important Cultural Property, with the safety standards required of a modern lodging facility, including seismic reinforcement and fire prevention measures. For more details on the “Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts” and “Hoshinoya Nara Prison,” please refer to our separate article.
Tōdai-ji’s Great Buddha Hall and Tōdai-ji Museum: In the afternoon, I visited Tōdai-ji. Tōdai-ji is within walking distance (about 20 minutes) from Kintetsu Nara Station, but many people may choose to take a bus from either Kintetsu Nara Station or JR Nara Station. However, since the walk from Kintetsu Nara Station takes you through Nara Park, alternating between walking one way and taking the bus the other way might actually make the trip more enjoyable. Now, whether on a school trip or otherwise, there’s probably no one who visits Tōdai-ji without seeing the Great Buddha. However, I recall that on my past visits, I would simply view the Great Buddha in the Great Buddha Hall, crawl through the hole in the pillar, and that was pretty much the end of it. This is especially true on school trips, where you have to see as much as possible within a limited time—and since you’re traveling as a group, it’s difficult to spend a long time thoroughly exploring a single place. However, it’s a different story when you visit on your own. Besides, it’s only natural that your perspective on the same things and places would differ between your middle and high school years and your adult life. There are also moments when you learn new things you didn’t know before. For me, one such example was the Great Buddha’s lotus throne. It was only on this visit that I first learned there are engraved designs on the sides of the lotus-shaped pedestal. During my visit, I was given special permission to go up onto the platform, so I was able to see them up close; however, even without going up, you can see them clearly from below if you stand a little further away (a camera with a telephoto lens or binoculars might come in handy). You can also see the designs of the engravings on a replica displayed on the left-hand side at the front of the hall. However, since the Great Buddha Hall was destroyed by fire twice in the past, some parts of the engravings were damaged during those incidents. I encourage you to walk all the way around the pedestal and take a look. You’ll be able to see the contrast between the parts where the engravings remain intact and those that have been damaged. To the south of the Great Buddha Hall, near the South Great Gate—which has served as a location for commercials—is the Tōdai-ji Museum. Judging by the name alone, you might think this is a facility designed solely to learn about the history of Tōdai-ji and the Great Buddha… but it’s not quite that simple. It preserves and researches various treasures associated with Tōdai-ji, while also hosting exhibitions. That is the nature of this facility. You might assume that the origins and histories of the treasures in its collection were all clarified long ago, but that’s not the case. I was told that there are still many things that remain unknown, and that new facts have come to light even recently. Therefore, if you revisit the museum after some time has passed, you may find that the lineup of treasures on display has changed or that the explanatory texts have been updated. The building itself has been designed with special care to ensure these precious treasures remain undamaged. While there have been several major earthquakes in the Kinki region recently, the Tōdai-ji Museum building actually incorporates a seismic isolation system to protect its valuable collection from earthquake damage. However, Nara is a region where archaeological sites are constantly unearthed whenever you dig. It was impossible to drive the foundations deep enough to make the entire building seismic-isolated. Therefore, they devised a solution by making the storage vault—which houses the precious treasures—a separate structure and applying the seismic-isolation system only to that area.
© Source travel watch