Visit Nara

Glass was one of the most treasured commodities that the Portuguese introduced to Japan and since the Edo period, Fu-Rin (Edo Fu-Rin) has been associated with the sounds of summer. As an antidote to the heat, the Wind Chime Festival at Ofusa Kannon Temple, features 2,500 Fu-Rin hung throughout its precincts. Made by artisans across Japan and for sale, the tinkering glass bells create a pleasing symphony in the summer breeze. Famous for its 2,300 varieties of roses, Ofusa is also known as the “flower mandala temple.” On your visit enjoy tea in the Ofusa Tearooms built in a palatial design and don’t miss the Juichimen Kannon (an eleven-faced goddess of mercy and compassion), the temple’s principal object of worship.