Nara

The next day we were up early and headed to the train station. We had to decide to make the most of our rail passes and we were off to the nearby city of Nara for the day. We found the train station without any trouble, and the trains to Nara were clearly marked on the board. On the platform we waited with the other passengers to board the train. Unlike in other countries where those waiting form a crowd and then mob the door when the train arrives, the Japanese mark where on the platform the doors will open, and form two neat lines. The trains are very fast and smooth in Japan, and it is interesting to look out the window as you travel and see how developed the country is. On the two hour ride from Kyoto to Nara I didn’t see a single break in the development.


When we arrived in the city we decided to do the city walking tour suggested in our Lonely Planet. We started up the main road to the first pagoda, located in a peaceful city park. We had heard about the deer population in Nara, but we were surprised to find them crowded in the city park. We were even more surprised by their behavior. Men on lunch break would sit in the park, surrounded by deer. People would purchase deer snacks from park vendors for 100 yen (about $1) and feed groups of deer. Deer would wonder outside of the park, down the sidewalk, and across the street, following people who had fed them and wanting to be petted. It was bizarre!


After spending some time checking out the pagoda, and of course, the crazy deer, we headed to the next stop on the tour, a large Buddhist Temple. The road to the temple was filled with tourist and school groups and lines with shops selling tea pots, chopsticks, fans, and other traditional Japanese gifts. Then there were the deer. Hundreds of them this time. They would wander up sniffing your pockets for food and searching for affection. I didn’t have any deer food, but apparently by Lonely Planet looked good enough. One deer tried to eat it while I was reading the temple description to Leon!


The temple is guarded by two carved wooded warriors that dominate the entry arch. They stand at least two stories tall and look as though they might spring to life at any moment. The pictures we took really don’t do them justice, as there is a chain link fence in front of them, but it was by far some of the most life-like sculpture I have ever seen.

We continued in to see the temple, the largest wooden building in the world. Stepping through the gates you can easily forget that you are in a city. All you see is the temple, the beautifully manicured gardens, and a background of mountains and spring forest. Inside the temple is just as peaceful. The wooden architecture creates a feeling of warmth and calm, and the large Buddha that fills the room only adds to the sense of peace. Two more wooden warriors guard the inside of the temple. They aren’t as big as the ones at the gate, but the carving was just as spectacular, and this time there were no fences obstructing the view.




Behind the Buddha (which is huge!) there is a wooden pillar with a hole through the bottom. The story is that the hole is the same size as the Buddha’s left nostril. Those who can pass through the hole are destined for enlightenment. Of course we had to try it! Leon went first and despite his broad shoulders wiggled through so fast that the picture I took was nothing but a blur. Then he convinced me to try. I put both arms through first like he had instructed, making my shoulders smaller. Unfortunately there was no way to make my hips smaller and I got stuck. Leon was laughing, the Japanese tourists were snapping pictures and giggling, and I was flailing my arms. Leon pulled me the rest of the way through, and we were a big hit with the locals.

After the temple it was a hike through the forest to find a nearby Shinto Shrine. Called the Kasuga Taisha shrine, the entrance is lined with hundreds of stone lanterns; each a little different from the last. It is incredibly peaceful and you feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city that lies less than a mile away. We left the shrine with aching feet and walked back to the train station for the two hour commute back to Kyoto and our beds.