Tucked in a small wooded clearing between Nigatsu-do and Kasuga Taisha, this thatched-roof teahouse is one of Nara's most atmospheric spots for a rest. A brook babbles past while you sit under the eaves and warm your hands around a bowl of frothy matcha with a traditional sweet. The simplicity of the setting — just wood, water, and trees — strips away centuries of noise and brings you back to the essential Japanese experience of finding beauty in the unremarkable. It's the kind of place that makes you wonder why you ever eat anywhere with walls.