Great Things to See Besides Deer in Nara

Nara was the first capital of Japan after the establishment of a centralized authority. It was known historically as “Heijō-kyō” and is the second largest cultural heritage capital in Japan after Kyoto. Although it was only the capital for 75 years, it laid the foundation for Japan's subsequent political, religious, and cultural development.

Nara is no more than an hour away from Kyoto and Osaka, so it is convenient to visit from both places. Nara has a pure Tang Dynasty style architecture, which will definitely make you "dream of the Tang Dynasty". In addition, the Nara deer that runs around Nara Park is also a tourist attraction.

Yoshinoyama, Nara Prefecture, which is colored pink with approximately 30,000 cherry trees, is known as "the most beautiful cherry blossom viewing locale in Japan". About 1300 years ago, the "shinboku" was planted and cultivated. The cherry blossoms are everywhere, beautiful like a fairyland. The cherry blossoms begin to bloom in waves starting in the valley. After a full month, they bloom at the top of the mountain.

Yoshinoyama is located in the center of Nara Prefecture. It is about 2 hours from Osaka and Kyoto. After arriving at Yoshino Station, you can take the cablecar up the mountain. In addition to cherry blossom viewing, there are several world heritage temples on the Yoshinoyama, such as the Kimpusen-ji and the Yoshimizu Shrine. The latter is an excellent spot to watch the cherry blossoms in the mountains.

Nara Park is an open park at the foot of Kasugayama on the east side of Nara. The park's attractions, in addition to the wide lawns and lush green trees, are the 1200 odd wild deer living there.

Although deer could be seen in other parts of Nara, Nara Park is still the most concentrated area for deer. Tourists travel to Nara Park firstly to get close to the deer, and secondly to go to the temples and shrines around the park. The deer add to the vitality of the park during the cherry blossom season and the maple season.

Tōdai-ji is located in East Nara and is one of the seven major temples in ancient Nara. It is about 1200 years old. In 1998, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site as an integral part of the historical relics of ancient Nara.

There is a wooden pillar in the Great Buddha Hall. At the bottom there is a hole that can accommodate a single person. It is called "the nose of the Buddha." It is said that those who pass through will gain peace and happiness thereafter, so there are always children and childlike adults queuing up to give it a try.

The Nigatsu-do is located on the hillside in the northeast of the Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji. It is a nigatsu built for the February ceremonies so it is called the February Hall. The first Nigatsu-do was burned down twice in war. The current Nigatsu-do was rebuilt in 1669. Climbing onto the Nigatsu-do, you can overlook the entire Nara cityscape.

Kasuga Taisha was built in 768 to protect the Heijō-kyō and pray for the prosperity of the country. It is the headquarters of the Kasuga Taisha Shrines that cover all parts of Japan. It is numbered among the three major shrines of Japan, together with the Ise Grand Shrine and the Iwashimizu Hachimangū Shrine.

As the holy mountain of Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kasugayama has banned logging for thousands of years, so the Taisha is backed by a stretch of virgin forest. The scarlet bird houses with white birch on both sides, and more than 2000 stone cages, plus the virgin forest and the strolling deer, make up the beauty of Kasuga Taisha.

Tōshōdai-ji is said to be a Buddhist temple built by the revered monk Jianzhen after crossing over to Japan, dating back more than 1,200 years. A statue of Jianzhen is still enshrined in the temple.

The Jianzhen cemetery “Founding Shrine” is also in the temple, and worships the true image of Jianzhen in the Image Hall (only open 3 days a year). Many believers come to visit the temple every of those days. The Gold Hall and the Lecture Hall, built in the Nara era are all national treasures.

The Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist wooden structure temple built by Prince Shōtoku in the Asuka Period. It was reportedly originally built in 607. It is divided into two parts: the west courtyard with the Gold Hall and the five-storied pagoda, and the east courtyard centered around the Dream Hall. The west courtyard is the earliest existing wooden structure in the world. The Gold Hall in the west courtyard contains the statue of Sakyamuni and many other treasures.

The Hōryū-ji is located mid-way between Osaka and Nara. It takes about 40 minutes to travel from Osaka. You can visit the Hōryū-ji before continuing to Nara.