Nara is well known for all the wild deer roaming around the city, along with the deep cultural and religious background of Japan.
Nara-shi is the capital of Nara Prefecture. The city is
located in the northern part of Nara Prefecture bordering
Kyoto Prefecture. Seven important shrines, temples, and
world heritage site are within the boarders specifically
Todaiji Temple, Saidaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga
Shrine, Gangoji Temple, Yakushiji Temple, Toshodaiji
Temple, and the Heijo Palace, along with Kasugayama
Primeval Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
perfect spot to experience both, Buddhism Temple,
Todaiji, and the Shinto shrine, Kasuga Shrine would be
Nara park, with both locations surrounding the park. Most
visitors come to Nara Park to interact with the wild deer
of Nara.
Deer in Nara are considered to be sacred and a
messenger of God, thus being loved and protected for
thousands of years. The deer that roam in Nara-shi is
wild and the population is around 1,500, growing every
year. There are special deer crackers that can be bought
and fed to the deer, but they tend to get aggressive and
bite the corners of your clothing to get their treat. Many
visitors, local and foreign, come to Nara-shi in search for
the cultural and religious background of Japan. Many
believe Nara is the birth place of Japan, and in 2010,
Nara celebrated the 1300th anniversary of its founding as
the ancient capital of Japan from 710 to 784. There are
also many festivals celebrated each year, a couple
famous ones would be Setsubun Mantoro every February
and August, where all the lamp and lanterns light up in
Kasuga Shrine, and the antler cutting festival every
October to protect the deer from hurting people, which
dates back to the Edo period.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Horyuji Temple
Horyuji temple is part of the “Seven Great Temples of Nara” and the oldest wooden structures in the world can be found in this area.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Todaiji Temple
Todaiji Temple is one of the major landmarks in Nara. It is known for housing the largest bronze statue of Buddha in Japan.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Kasuga Taisha Shrine is the shrine for the Fujiwara clan. The interior is famous for the many stone and bronze lamps, along with Kasuga-zukuri architectural building style.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Nara National Museum
Nara National Museum is one of Japans national museums mainly housing Buddhism works of art.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Nara Deer Park
Nara Park is the most popular location for interacting with wild deer in Nara.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Isuien Garden
Isuien is a Japanese style garden located in Nara. The garden was established in the Meiji era, and is a walking garden to enjoy the scenic view of Nara.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Yakushiji Temple
Yakushiji Temple is one of the oldest imperial temples in Japan as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Kofukuji Temple
Kofukuji Temple is one of the oldest and among seven of the great temples from the Heian period.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Kofukuji National Treasure Museum
The Kofukiji National Treasure Museum is located within Kofukiji Temple in Nara.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Omizutori
Omizutori is a one of the oldest traditional Japanese Buddhism Festival that takes place each year in Nara.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Toshodaiji Temple
Toshodaiji Temple is one of the oldest Buddhism temples in Japan with a Chinese Tang Dynasty architectural style structure.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Heijo Palace
Heijo Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the original Imperial Palace during the Nara Period.
Kansai | Nara | Nara City
Yoshikien Garden
Yoshikien Garden is a traditional Japanese style garden located in Nara and established around 1919 during the Meiji Period.