I would like to introduce some useful phrases to anyone who wishes to visit Nara Prefecture, Japan. Actually, this phrase guide will be based on an even more specific location – we are going to visit Nara Park in the ancient capital! In this beautiful part of Nara City, close to my home, you will find hundreds of roaming deer. If you want to make friends with them, you can buy a small stack of deer crackers along the path. Feed them a few of these, and they may follow you all the way to the temple! Before you make your ways towards Toudaiji, the 1280+ year old temple in the heart of the park, keep these common phrases handy so that you can practice them among the people of Nara. Don’t be shy – even a few Japanese words spoken by a foreigner can impress the locals. Before we begin – The Kansai Accent If you have been to JapaneseMEOW before and followed my lessons, you may have noticed my Kansai accent. This will be the same dialect you hear in Nara, including this popular tourist spot. As a beginner, you may not even notice it with formal conversation. There’s only a slight change of intonation between my voice and someone’s from Tokyo and the pronunciation of these phrases remain the same. If you are studying at an intermediate level and interested in focusing on the Kansai dialect, here is an excellent resource. There are some very unique features of the dialect that you will find beyond this phrase guide. Okay, let’s start by asking someone for directions to the park!