Nara

Last weekend, I made trip to Nara. Nara is quite close to Osaka (about the same distance as Kyoto), and - as former capital of Japan - hosts several World Heritage Sites. In contrast to Kyoto, however, Nara was almost blissfully empty. Don't get me wrong: there were still many people, but (almost) no big queues.

The hard facts:

• paid 1980 ¥ transportation
• paid 1950 ¥ admission fees
• paid 150 ¥ for deer biscuits
• visited 2 temples, 2 shrines, and 1 garden, of which 3 are World Heritage Sites
• walked 11.8km (see the track)
  

1 - Isui-en gardens

These gardens feature two parts which are from two different time periods (Meiji and Edo periods, if I remember correctly). The gardens were both very nice and tranquil, and not crowded at all. In comparison, I liked the second part much better than the first (just have a look at the lower of the two pictures below - isn't it the perfect image of beauty and tranquility?)

2 - Todai-ji

My second stop was this huge temple which is both a World Heritage Site and allegedly the largest wooden building in the world. The present temple is a reconstruction - at only about two thirds the size of the original one!

Taking pictures inside the temple was allowed which I found to be very rare. But, considering that the temples and shrines are all active places of worship, it is understandable that they don't want hordes of tourists posing next to the Buddha statues all the time. The statues in this temple are HUGE, and apparently at least the one in the first picture has repeatedly lost its head during fires or earthquakes.

3 - Nigatsu-do

Next, I went to Nigatsu-do, which is actually a sub-temple of Todai-ji. It offers a very nice view over Nara from the veranda.

4 - Kasuga Taisha

This shrine is another World Heritage Site. It features many, many lanterns both at the shrine and on all paths leading to it. On the day I visited, there were several small kids (both boys and girls, though the picture below shows only a girl) dressed in traditional clothing walking around with their parents.

5 - Wakamiya-jinja

Another shrine a few minutes walk from Kasuga Taisha. There was a beautiful gong exhibited in one of the buildings, and a rack featuring many wooden hearts. Racks with wooden tablets are very common - I think that people write their wishes on it or something - but usually they are just rectangular and unpainted.

6 - Kofuku-ji

The final sight I visited was another Word Heritage Site temple. The main hall is currently hidden behind a scaffold, but the remaining halls and pagodas were well worth viewing.

One building on the temple grounds - the National Treasure Hall - is actually a museum. The exhibits were very impressive, especially the main exhibit, the Senjyu Kannon Bosatsu (goddess of mercy). Unfortunately, taking pictures was not allowed inside.

Crazy deer

All the places I visited that day are located in the center of Nara, the so-called Nara park. A distinguishing feature of Nara park are the wild deer living there. They are considered as a national treasure by the Japanese, and are regularly fed by visitors. Many small stalls throughout the park sell special crackers for the deer, and of course I had to get some, too. The deer know exactly when you are in the possession of crackers and when you aren't. In case you are, you are sure to be pursued and pestered by at least a handful of them. There are signs warning you of the things deer will do to get to the crackers throughout the park. From first-hand experience, I can tell you they will push and shove, tug at your trousers, and even nibble at your leg. They disperse as soon as you hand them the last cracker... intelligent beasts!

On my way back to the train station, I bought some lunch at a French bakery: savory pastries with spinach and cheese and sweet ones with lots of sugar on top - what a delight!