Living in Tenri

A unique religious city in Nara Prefecture where the headquarters of a particular religious organization is located. The cityscape and the rhythm of daily life are shaped around the organization's facilities. Rents are low and it is quiet, but the railways are mostly branch lines, so commuting to Osaka or Kyoto involves transfers.

Tenri City in Nara Prefecture, where the JR Manyo-Mahoroba Line (formerly the Sakurai Line) and the Kintetsu Tenri Line meet, and you can reach Osaka-Namba in about 58 minutes by transferring to Kintetsu. It is famous as a religious city with the headquarters of Tenrikyo, a Japanese new religion, and the spicy 'Tenri ramen' (Saika and Tensta), made with plenty of Chinese cabbage and garlic, started at food stalls in the 1960s to 1980s and became a nationally known specialty. However, it takes more than an hour to central Osaka including transfers, so it is closer to an independent living area within Nara Prefecture than a commuter zone. It suits single-person households who want the quiet atmosphere centered on religious facilities and low prices and can put up with a long commute to Osaka.