After Kyoto and before Osaka, I had the pleasure to go to Nara, the deer capital of the world!
I stayed at a hotel near the station, it’s a really cool town and there is a nice vibe there.
I dedicated a day to visit deer park by bicycle. It’s full of… deers but also amazing places of worship, temples, etc…
Temples I visited:
– 東大寺 / Tōdai-Ji Temple, Great Buddha of NARA
Home to the famous Daibutsu (大仏), at almost 15 meters the second largest Buddha statue in Japan.
The Daibutsu-den, which houses one of the largest wooden buildings in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
To the right of the entrance to the Daibutsu-den is a statue of the Yakushi Nyorai. Though a bit scary-looking on first glance, it’s actually a Buddha of medicine and healing. Touching a part of the Yakushi Nyorai and then the corresponding part of your own body is said to heal any ailments you have there.
– Kasuga Taisha
– Shin-Yakushi-ji (新薬師寺) is a single hall with twelve ferocious warrior statues (each with his own collection plate) standing guard by a Buddha of healing.
– Okumura Commemorative Museum
– 興福寺 国宝館 (Kofukuji National Treasure Museum).
Kofukuji (興福寺) used to be the family temple of the Fujiwara, the most powerful aristocratic clan during much of the Nara and Heian Periods.
The temple was established in Nara at the same time as the capital in 710. At the height of Fujiwara power, the temple consisted of over 150 buildings.
AloJapan.com