Based in Nara, the ancient capital of Japan (30 mins from Osaka and Kyoto) Studio Headspace is situated above MR.Q International Bar and is comprised of a small living, work and gallery space. The Studio is located in an old shoutengai (shopping arcade) with a popular Ramen noodle shop, karaoke, and other shops full of character.
HeadSpace Studio
1-7-10 Kunimi Cho, Saidaiji, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, 631-0823, Japan
Nara is situated in Kansai, the cultural and historical heart of Japan. With over 22 million residents, Osaka and Kyoto form the core of the region which stretches west along the Seto Inland Sea towards Himeji and Kobe and east to Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake. The Kansai region lays claim to the earliest beginnings of Japanese civilization. It was Nara, the most eastern point on the Silk Road, that became the site of Japan’s first permanent capital (710-84), predating its neighbour – Kyoto, by 74 years. The site was selected thanks to its auspicious location (as dictated by Chinese geomancy) and outstanding natural beauty. Heijo-kyo, (with its palace grounds a 10 minute walk from the Studio) or “Citadel of Peace”, as Nara was known in ancient times, is flanked by mountains to its sides and rear, is a flat and fertile plain forming a natural basin fit to host a city of great splendour. Nara’s reign as capital may have been short, but 1300 years of history have endowed it with many ancient temples and shrines to savour, including 8 UNESCO World heritage sites. And despite pockets of urban sprawl, Nara has retained its rural character, allowing the exploration of temples in a more intimate and natural setting.
