The Nara National Museum is one of several preeminent national art museums, located in Nara, Japan - Nara was the capital of the country from 710 to 784. The museum was conceptualised by Katayama Tokuma and was officially designated as an Important Cultural Property in Japan.

The museum houses a large collection of Japanese Buddhist artefacts including monuments, photographs and altar articles and these are put on exhibition each year in autumn. Some of its well-known pieces include the 12th century Hell Scroll and the 9th century sculpture of the seated Buddha Yakushi. The museum also houses several facilities including the original building, the east and west wings, a lower-level passageway joining the two wings, the Buddhist art library, a conservation centre and a Japanese tea ceremony house known as ‘Hassoan’. Sit back and relax after a day of exploring at Hassoan and enjoy some traditional tea in a traditional tea house.