Recently I went on a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun where we visited many places, climbed Mount Fuji and in general had a good time. I will of course tell you about the shrines I checked out In Kyoto and my Mountain climb but to begin I want to talk about a smaller slightly lesser-known part of Japan, Nara. This place was once the capital of Japan and is filled with a rich history.
To get there we used the Shinkansen which was a very comfortable experience as the trains were clean, spacious and had very plush seats. To get to Nara we swung by Kyoto and dropped of our bags at the Kyoto Station and then taking the Rapid Limited express set off for Nara eager to start our day of exploration.
While walking through the city we met Nara’s most famous inhabitant, the deer. The bowing deer of Nara are the perfect representation of Pavlov’s dog they will bow for the deer crackers available for 200¥. The deer are respected as messengers of the gods and our treasured in the area. The crackers are wheat flour and rice bran which are a registered trademark of the Foundation for the Protection of Deer in Nara. The deers are incredibly cool, just a little too touchy and way too populous.
Our first spot was Kofuku-ji, a Buddhist temple known for its healing powers. The main draw of the temple is a five-storey pagoda which was unfortunately under construction but we did get to check out the large the main hall. The main hall an exquisite Golden Hall, bright red surrounded by pillars and topped with two golden snake heads. It was brilliant work of architecture which was a bit hard to appreciate in the blazing sun.
For these reasons if you are travelling in the summer buy a handheld fan and UV Umbrella from wherever and take them everywhere. Note, try to find an umbrella that stands up to rain to maximise the use you get out of it post Japan.
The next shrine to visit was a short walk-through Nara Deer Park. This was another Buddhist Temple most famous for their 15metre Buddha housed in the world’s largest wooden structure. The entire place is beautiful and (when empty) tranquil with a great lake on the property and a huge path leading to the building. We joined a fast-moving line for tickets to the interior which cost 300¥ and then proceeded into the hall.
The main attraction was right in front of us, a gigantic Bronze Buddha. This place was epic. The idol was breathtakingly big, even getting all of it in a picture was a challenge and when you see an image of people restoring the Buddhas head you fully understand the scale of the creation and the level of effort some craftsmen put into it. The area was large and filled with amazing articles of devotion centred around the Buddha. Then flanking him and his incarnations are two 8.5m Nio protecting him, still humongous. Going around them, we came to a pillar with a hole at the bottom. It is said to be the same size as the Buddha’s nostril and if you can go through it apparently, you’ll get health and happiness.
The next thing in the hall was a 1:50 recreation of the original temple compound based off of some documents which featured two 7-storey pagodas reaching 100 metres in height. The top was preserved off to the side in the direction we were headed anyways so it was an obvious visit. When we reached, we first blown away by the scale and the preservation of the metal creation and the Ashoka Stump.
That’s right, the Ashok Stupa! Let me tell you a story, in 538 CE when Buddhism was brought here from India by the Great King Ashoka, he personally attended the first ever ordination ceremony in Japan which was held here, at Todai-Ji. He left the Stupa and underneath it a time capsule featuring the names of everyone present that day. On the 1500th anniversary of Buddhism in Japan, it will be dug up, which is in 2038. So Close!
As we continued our temple tour, the heat began to take its toll. After a brief vending machine stop for Pocari Sweat, we spotted a bus just in time to save us from an exhausting walk. The bus whisked us away to Kasuga Taisha, a serene shrine nestled higher up in the hills.
Kasuga Taisha is famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns donated by worshippers. These lanterns are lit during the Mantōrō Lantern Festivals, held twice a year: in early February for Setsubun and in mid-August for Obon.The path through the shrine is a bit windy but highlights all the main areas. The entire paths were outlined in lanterns and the shrine bordered the Kasugayama Primeval Forest. It was a quaint little shrine and was quite enchanting but not awe-inspiring like Todai-ji, I think it was a collective favourite and we all loved the experience.
We finished our day in Nara and it was a great day one. There will be more posts on my Japan trip soon so if you wanted more details on the Fuji Climb or the shrines of Kyoto, it is coming soon.
Tips and Tricks –
- Use the Rapid Limited Express as it is simply faster and skips a lot of stops, (it is more expensive but you are not being cheated)
- Buy a small handheld fan or UV umbrella to deal with the sun as well as some of the Biore cooling wet-wipes (I couldn’t use them as they irritated my skin but my parents gave glowing reviews.)
- For travels to faraway shrines use local busses as much as possible
- Try to start early in the day both to beat the heat and the crowd
- Bring cash as quite a few shrines and the busses do not accept card.
- Also watch out for the deer, it is a matter of preference, if you want to interact be careful as they could be a little aggressive in an attempt to get the cracker, if not bob and weave, they won’t come after you.