Famous Places in Japan
Main Attractions in Nara, Japan
Nara is a fantastic place to visit to gain insight into life in Japan in the 8th century, which marked the beginning of changes for the country. As the capital of Japan, Nara has many fascinating historical places of interest. As the center for the national government from 710 to 784, the area prospered and was able to afford a variety of cultural masterpieces. The sights include temples, shrines and even the remains of the excavated Imperial Palace.
Do not miss Nara Park, it is here that you will find both the Todai-ji Temple (with the Great Buddha) and the Kasuga Shrine. These are sights that you definitely do not want to miss while in the area.
Quick Tips:
Nara is a popular destination, with the main tourist sights inside of Nara Park. Because of its popularity, it is advisable to get there early in the day before all of the sites are crowded. This is especially important if you desire photographs. The park is filled with deer looking to tourists for bread, so you might want to bring something with you!
The best place to find a list of events is at the Nara Prefecture New City Hall, located almost directly in the center of Nara Park. In addition to having a nice information desk, there is also a really good western style restaurant and a Noh theater.
Best Way To Get Around:
There are several options for getting around the city - it is well served by public buses, trains, walking paths and taxis. I found it best to go to each main area on public transportation and then walk around to all of the different sites. Nara also has a tourist bus that seems to stop off at most of the main areas.
Nara Park
The largest park in Nara, this is the place to go if you want to see many of the main attractions in the area. Inside the park are Todai-ji, the Kasuga Shrine and the Nara National Museum.
One of the most interesting things in the park are the hundreds of deer that roam freely throughout the area. Apparently the deer have been designated as a National Treasure. The deer are actually quite tame and accustomed to tourists feeding them…so they often come over and take a nibble out of anything they perceive as food! This is highly entertaining to watch, especially when an unsuspecting visitor has a sandwich. The deer are very perseverant and I watched as they chased more than one tourist in search of food. Actually, because of their somewhat overzealous personalities it is a good thing that they are slightly smaller than a Great Dane. The only potential problem lies with their antlers, which I imagine could be quite painfully used as persuasion to get what they want! Vendors along the walkways sell bread that you can feed to the deer.
Within the park there are also interesting displays, such as sake barrels from the companies who pay to keep up the shrine and an exhibit on horseback archery taking place the day I was there.
Todai-ji
In the 7th century, Buddhism rapidly spread through Japan after monks from Korea introduced the faith to Japanese royalty. Towards the end of the century Emperor Temmu ordered every family to have a Buddhist altar. After his reign, the next in line ruled that in addition to the family altars, every province should have a temple. In addition, he decided to build a national temple to act as a headquarters for all of the provincial temples. Todai-ji was built to serve this purpose. It is truly an awesome sight, with the Great Buddha Hall perfectly built on a grand scale! Although the building housing the Great Buddha has burned down on a couple of occasions, it has been rebuilt. The last time it was rebuilt was in 1567 and it was actually made 33% smaller than the original structure. The size of the building is nearly overpowering, so to imagine it being 33% larger is somewhat difficult! Currently it is the largest wooden building in the world.
The temple serves as not only a place to pray, but also as a center for Buddhist doctrinal research. Inside the main building are three large sculptures. The centerpiece is the Vairocana Buddha, the largest sitting bronze Buddha in the world. Originally he was made of cast bronze and then plated in gold. Now the gold is gone and all that remains is the bronze cast, which over the centuries has undergone several repairs. Nonetheless, this Buddha is an awesome sight. The sculpture is so well done and proportional that is stunning when you realize just how large it is at a height of nearly 49 ft. His head alone is nearly 18 feet high, and a person can literally fit inside of one of his nostrils.
Inside the temple it is possible to buy fortunes as well as a variety of charms for various causes. The temple is interesting and a great deal of time can be spent exploring the buildings and grounds. Definitely wear a hat or take an umbrella if you plan to visit during the summer. Although it is comfortably cool in the building, the walks outdoors are quite warm! Also, as this is one of the most popular sight in Japan, it can be quite crowded. Take this into account...and if you wish to get a good exterior shot of the main building your best bet is to stand far off to the right.
Kasuga Taisha
Walking up the lantern-lined pathways in Nara Park towards the Kasuga Shrine is an unforgettable experience. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be on the special evenings when they light the 2,000+ stone lanterns and an additional 1,000 lanterns that are hung from the trees for these special occasions. The lanterns are only lit two times per year, once on February 3 to signify the coming of spring and during a second period in mid-August to honor the dead. The lanterns are donated by benefactors of the shrine; families basically pay to build the lantern and then make annual donations to the temple to keep their name on the lantern. It is not an inexpensive honor! As you walk up the pathway the number lanterns become more concentrated, until they are basically touching! The light from the lanterns around the Kasuga Shrine must almost make it seem like the brightness of day when they are all lit.
The Kasuga Shinto Shrine was built in the middle of the 8th century on land that was considered a home to the gods. Originally it was only used by the Fujiwara family because supposedly two of the gods here are said to be ancestors of the family. As with all shrines, it is not possible to photograph inside. However, it is a truly beautiful shrine. One of the elements that I found most striking were the headdresses worn by the ladies inside (selling the fortunes and charms). This is yet another popular site…perhaps best visited on a weekday. During the summer it can be warm, however fortunately there is a great deal of shade provided by the trees. Be aware that the walk is up a gravel path and it is best to wear comfortable shoes!
Nara is a fantastic place to visit to gain insight into life in Japan in the 8th century, which marked the beginning of changes for the country. As the capital of Japan, Nara has many fascinating historical places of interest. As the center for the national government from 710 to 784, the area prospered and was able to afford a variety of cultural masterpieces. The sights include temples, shrines and even the remains of the excavated Imperial Palace.
Do not miss Nara Park, it is here that you will find both the Todai-ji Temple (with the Great Buddha) and the Kasuga Shrine. These are sights that you definitely do not want to miss while in the area.
Quick Tips:
Nara is a popular destination, with the main tourist sights inside of Nara Park. Because of its popularity, it is advisable to get there early in the day before all of the sites are crowded. This is especially important if you desire photographs. The park is filled with deer looking to tourists for bread, so you might want to bring something with you!
The best place to find a list of events is at the Nara Prefecture New City Hall, located almost directly in the center of Nara Park. In addition to having a nice information desk, there is also a really good western style restaurant and a Noh theater.
Best Way To Get Around:
There are several options for getting around the city - it is well served by public buses, trains, walking paths and taxis. I found it best to go to each main area on public transportation and then walk around to all of the different sites. Nara also has a tourist bus that seems to stop off at most of the main areas.
Nara Park
The largest park in Nara, this is the place to go if you want to see many of the main attractions in the area. Inside the park are Todai-ji, the Kasuga Shrine and the Nara National Museum.
One of the most interesting things in the park are the hundreds of deer that roam freely throughout the area. Apparently the deer have been designated as a National Treasure. The deer are actually quite tame and accustomed to tourists feeding them…so they often come over and take a nibble out of anything they perceive as food! This is highly entertaining to watch, especially when an unsuspecting visitor has a sandwich. The deer are very perseverant and I watched as they chased more than one tourist in search of food. Actually, because of their somewhat overzealous personalities it is a good thing that they are slightly smaller than a Great Dane. The only potential problem lies with their antlers, which I imagine could be quite painfully used as persuasion to get what they want! Vendors along the walkways sell bread that you can feed to the deer.
Within the park there are also interesting displays, such as sake barrels from the companies who pay to keep up the shrine and an exhibit on horseback archery taking place the day I was there.
Todai-ji
In the 7th century, Buddhism rapidly spread through Japan after monks from Korea introduced the faith to Japanese royalty. Towards the end of the century Emperor Temmu ordered every family to have a Buddhist altar. After his reign, the next in line ruled that in addition to the family altars, every province should have a temple. In addition, he decided to build a national temple to act as a headquarters for all of the provincial temples. Todai-ji was built to serve this purpose. It is truly an awesome sight, with the Great Buddha Hall perfectly built on a grand scale! Although the building housing the Great Buddha has burned down on a couple of occasions, it has been rebuilt. The last time it was rebuilt was in 1567 and it was actually made 33% smaller than the original structure. The size of the building is nearly overpowering, so to imagine it being 33% larger is somewhat difficult! Currently it is the largest wooden building in the world.
The temple serves as not only a place to pray, but also as a center for Buddhist doctrinal research. Inside the main building are three large sculptures. The centerpiece is the Vairocana Buddha, the largest sitting bronze Buddha in the world. Originally he was made of cast bronze and then plated in gold. Now the gold is gone and all that remains is the bronze cast, which over the centuries has undergone several repairs. Nonetheless, this Buddha is an awesome sight. The sculpture is so well done and proportional that is stunning when you realize just how large it is at a height of nearly 49 ft. His head alone is nearly 18 feet high, and a person can literally fit inside of one of his nostrils.
Inside the temple it is possible to buy fortunes as well as a variety of charms for various causes. The temple is interesting and a great deal of time can be spent exploring the buildings and grounds. Definitely wear a hat or take an umbrella if you plan to visit during the summer. Although it is comfortably cool in the building, the walks outdoors are quite warm! Also, as this is one of the most popular sight in Japan, it can be quite crowded. Take this into account...and if you wish to get a good exterior shot of the main building your best bet is to stand far off to the right.
Kasuga Taisha
Walking up the lantern-lined pathways in Nara Park towards the Kasuga Shrine is an unforgettable experience. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be on the special evenings when they light the 2,000+ stone lanterns and an additional 1,000 lanterns that are hung from the trees for these special occasions. The lanterns are only lit two times per year, once on February 3 to signify the coming of spring and during a second period in mid-August to honor the dead. The lanterns are donated by benefactors of the shrine; families basically pay to build the lantern and then make annual donations to the temple to keep their name on the lantern. It is not an inexpensive honor! As you walk up the pathway the number lanterns become more concentrated, until they are basically touching! The light from the lanterns around the Kasuga Shrine must almost make it seem like the brightness of day when they are all lit.
The Kasuga Shinto Shrine was built in the middle of the 8th century on land that was considered a home to the gods. Originally it was only used by the Fujiwara family because supposedly two of the gods here are said to be ancestors of the family. As with all shrines, it is not possible to photograph inside. However, it is a truly beautiful shrine. One of the elements that I found most striking were the headdresses worn by the ladies inside (selling the fortunes and charms). This is yet another popular site…perhaps best visited on a weekday. During the summer it can be warm, however fortunately there is a great deal of shade provided by the trees. Be aware that the walk is up a gravel path and it is best to wear comfortable shoes!
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