Travel to Nara, Japan- Deer, Temples, & A Giant Buddha
Nara often gets looked over, since it’s bigger sister Kyoto gets most of the attention in the Kansai region. At one point Nara was the capital of Japan between 710 to 794 before being moved to Kyoto and then Edo (current day Tokyo). Today, Nara is most famous for Nara Park which is the location of many of Nara’s temples and the world famous bowing deer. We were able to Travel to Nara Japan for two days after a visit to Kyoto and I must say, Nara might be my favorite city in Japan.
Nara, like most other cities on mainland Japan is very easy to access via public transportation. We took a train from Kyoto directly to Nara, in total it took 45 minutes. To travel to Nara from Osaka Station it can be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. The best way to find specific stations and times is by using the Japan Travel App. This app has saved us so much time and resources.
Nara has a great Train Station equipped with restaurants, a large supermarket, and Vie De France (One of our favorite bakeries)!
Once in Nara, there is a decent bus system that takes visitors from the Station directly to Nara Park. But I recommend either cycling or just walking to Nara Park, it’s about 15 – 20 minutes from the Train Station.
Nara Park
If you only have one or two days in Nara, then I recommend spending the majority of the time at Nara Park.
Nara Park is where visitors will see most of Nara’s Sights to include beautiful nature, shrines, temples, and the world famous bowing deer. Yes, the deer actually bow when they are offered a treat, so polite, right?
Here are some fun facts about Nara Park:
- Nara Park is a public park that was established in 1880
- The park covers about 66 hectares (1,600 acres)
- The Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (8 sites in total) are part of UNESCO
- There are roughly 1,200 Sika Deer that call this park home
- It is home to the largest Wooden Building in the World
- Japan’s second largest Buddha can be found here
The Free-Roaming Deer at Nara Park
The free roaming deer at Nara Park are probably the most well known attraction of the park, even more so then the ancient temples and shrines.
The deer here at Nara Park are a huge deal! In fact, they are considered a National Treasure!
The Legend behind the deer started back in the year AD 768. According to sources at Nara Park that I read, Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, a God traveled to Nara on the back of a White Deer. Ever since this legend, the deer have become sacred in Nara.
I also read that up until 1637, killing a deer here was punishable by death! Although a death sentence likely won’t occur today, it is still a major crime to harass or kill these sacred deer.
Today, more then 1,200 deer roam the park. Visitors can freely walk amongst them and even feed them. Throughout the park, there are vendors that sell a delicious deer cracker known as Shika Senbei. This cracker is made up of rice bran and grains so it’s a yummy treat for the deer. Even the packaging around the crackers is edible. Just a note, these deer are still wild and have not been domesticated.
The deer here are intelligent. Many of them will crowd vendors that sell the Shika Senbei. The people running the shops do love the deer and even pet and comfort the deer.
Words of advice – I learned the hard way!
Although they respect the sellers and leave them alone, the second you buy crackers they will surround you and can be somewhat aggressive. Just look at the picture below of what happened to me. There was one somewhat aggressive buck that kept sticking me with his antlers. I had to toss some crackers away from me just to get some distance from him. He left a gnarly scratch on me and even tore my new shirt. But it’s all good, I forgave him the next day.
Our advice is to find a vendor away from major attractions where there are no deer around. We did this for take two, and it worked great. We bought two bundles of crackers and stuffed them in our backpacks. Each bundle is about 10 crackers and costs 200¥. We went around looking for female or young deer that were either by themselves or with a small group and fed them. This was a much better experience and no one got injured!
The deer here are famous for being polite as they generously bow in order to receive a treat. I was skeptical about this at first but it’s true! The deer will actually lower their heads and bow in order to get a treat. Watch the Bowing Deer Here.
Below are some fun photos of the deer around Nara Park. They hang out in front of shops and apparently love ice cream!
The Sika deer at Nara Park are the same type of deer that are found throughout Japan. Another fun place to see the Sika deer is Miyajima Island just south of Hiroshima City. Although, I think the deer in Nara Park are better behaved and cared for. It was amazing to see how well nature and humans can coexist in a location like Nara Park. The deer here looked healthy, were well fed, and genuinely cared for by locals.
Temples and Shrines Around Nara Park
Todai-ji
Perhaps the most incredible temple in Japan, Todai-ji is a Buddhist Temple that was founded in AD 738. Todai-ji is also known as the Great Buddha Hall. There is a Buddha statue known as Daibutsu sitting in the Great Hall. The Daibutsu is the second largest sitting Buddha in Japan at a height of 15 meters weighing 500 tons. Todai-ji is the largest wooden structure in the world. Entrance price to visit Todai-ji is 500¥ and is well worth a visit!
Todaiji Nigatsudo
Not far from Todai-ji, is Nigatsu-do. This area is more of a complex of temples and other structures. This temple complex was founded in the year 752. Like many temples and structures in Japan, the main building was destroyed because of a fire and was re-constructed in 1669 and is now one of Japans most important cultural sites.
Kasuga-Taisha
Kasuga-Taisha is considered the most celebrated shrine in Nara. Kasuga-Taisha has a rich history and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of Nara. This shrine is the farthest walk from the entrance of Nara Park. The forest leading up to the shrine is breathtaking with large moss covered trees and Toro (traditional lanterns made of stone) lining each side of the path. This and Todai-ji are the only temples that charge a fee to visit. Kasuga-Taisha is 500¥ to enter. Besides the beautiful orange and white colors of the temple, Kasuga-Taisha has hundreds of hanging golden lanterns.
Kofukuji Five Storied Pagoda
One of my favorite structures in Nara Park was the Kofukuji Five Storied Pagoda. According to an information panel at the pagoda, this pagoda was created by the Empress Komyoh in the year 730. The pagoda was restored in 1426 and is the second tallest pagoda in Japan, the first being the To-ji Pagoda in Kyoto.
Night Photography
I don’t really spend to much time taking photos at night or have that much experience with it. But Nara Park felt like a perfect place to test out night photos with my new camera. I mainly shoot in Aperature mode and think some of these turned out pretty decent.
Travel to Nara Japan - Until Next Time
After spending two days in Nara, I can honestly say it might be my favorite town in Japan so far. Nara Park was simply beautiful, the deer were cute, the temples were incredible, and the Gian Buddha was amazing to see in person.
Nara Prefecture has left me wanting more. There are two other UNESCO sites, Buddhist Monuments in the Horyuji Area and Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range that I plan on visiting when I Travel to Nara Japan next.
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