Nara deer park
Nara Park opened in 1880 and is home to 1,300 deer. These deer are wild animals designated as a national natural monument. Deer are the messengers of Kasuga Taisha Shrine.
You can feed the deer. If you bow first, the deer will bow as well, so try doing the same.
If you see a fawn, do not touch it. Mother deer have a strong maternal instinct and can become aggressive, so be careful. Also, mother deer distinguish their fawns by their smell, so if a person touches them, they may pick up the human scent and stop nursing, which can cause the fawn to be unable to nurse.
Todaiji temple
Todaiji Temple was built in 728. Casting of the Great Buddha began in 747 and it was completed in 752. The Great Buddha was destroyed by fire and storms in 1181, 1567, and 1610. The current Great Buddha was completed in 1690. The current Great Buddha Hall, the third in its kind, is 46.8 meters tall and is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. During the Nara period, Japan was hit by many hardships, including epidemics, earthquakes, and rebellions. Emperor Shomu then came up with the idea of building a Great Buddha to save Japan.
There are also many deer at Todaiji Temple that you can feed.
Isuien Garden
Isuien Garden is a tranquil Japanese garden that is isolated from the surrounding area, even though it is located between Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple. You can enjoy two different gardens created during two different cultural periods, the Edo Period and the Meiji Period, at the same time.
Kofukuji temple
Kofuku-ji Temple was built by Fujiwara no Fuhito in 710. Since its founding, Kofuku-ji Temple has suffered many fires and has had to be rebuilt each time. In particular, the Chukon-do Hall has burned down seven times due to accidental fires, wartime fires, and lightning strikes. Within the temple grounds are a three-story pagoda and a five-story pagoda, the latter being the sixth in its series.
Mochi pounding
High-speed mochi pounding in the Naramachi shopping arcade. It’s a must-see attraction if you go to Nara. Mochi pounding has been a tradition in Japan since ancient times during the New Year. However, it is done at a very high speed here, which no one else can replicate. You can actually raise and eat mugwort mochi.
Kasuga Taisya shrine
Kasuga Taisha Shrine is the head shrine of the 3,000 Kasuga Shrines across Japan.
Its history began about 1,300 years ago, during the Nara period, when the capital was moved from Asuka to Heijo-kyo. The vivid vermilion-painted shrine building is enshrined in a primeval forest that has been protected as a sacred area since its founding. The shrine grounds are always filled with the youthful and powerful power of the gods, thanks to the “Shikinen Zotai” system in which the main hall and other shrine buildings are rebuilt every 20 years. In 1998, the “Cultural Assets of Ancient Nara”, including Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kasugayama Primeval Forest, were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The shrine building was constructed. The grounds are so large that you could easily get lost, with deer, believed to be messengers of the gods, roaming freely and 3,000 lanterns lined up.
Yakushiji temple
Yakushiji Temple, said to be a power spot for praying for good health, is the head temple of the Hosso sect of Buddhism. It was built in 680 by Emperor Tenmu as a prayer for the recovery of his empress (later Empress Jito) from illness, and was completed in 697 during the reign of Empress Jito. At the time, the temple was the most magnificent in Japan, and the appearance of the main hall and tower was so beautiful that it was called “Dragon Palace Style”. Later, when the capital was moved to Heijo-kyo, it was moved from Fujiwara-kyo in Asuka to Heijo-kyo in 718. It was lost except for the eastern tower due to various disasters, but it is currently being restored, and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
