Nara features some of the oldest and largest temples in Japan. The city was the first permanent capital of Japan. Nara can be easily explored as a day tour from Kyoto or Osaka. I visited Nara from Kyoto for a day trip. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Nara from Kyoto by JR Nara Express line.
Kofuku JI Temple– Kofuku Ji temple is situated by just 5 minutes walk from Nara station. Kofuku Ji temple is a Buddhist temple and it is also part of UNESCO world heritage site.The temple compound consists of a five-story pagoda and a Tokondo. The buildings have a great significance to Japanese history and culture. You can also visit National Treasure Museum and Eastern Golden hall situated inside the temple compound. It is a perfect tourist attraction for people interested in Japanese culture and History.
Kasuga Taisha Shrine – It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Kofuku Ji temple to Kasuga Taisha shrine. You pass through Nara Park, lush green trees and number of deer on your way to Kasuga Taisha Shrine. You will get to see lots of bronze and stone lanterns around the shrine. These lanterns are donated by the worshipers. There are number of auxiliary shrines near the Kasuga Taisha main compound. The trail from Kofuku Ji temple to Kasuga Taisha shrine is a really beautiful walk and it should not missed during your trip to Nara.
Nara Park– Nara Park is situated at the center of Nara city very close to Kofuku Ji temple. The park is well known for free roaming deer. You can purchase deer crackers from the stalls around the park. I opened the cracker packet and in no time i was surrounded by almost 10 deer. Nara’s deer are not aggressive at all and they are considered as the messenger of God. There are more than 1000 deer around the park and they are featured heavily in tourism promotion campaigns of Nara.
Todai Ji temple– It takes about 20 minutes to reach Todai Ji temple from Kasuga Taisha Shrine. You will find number of Japanese food and snacks store near the gate. On the way to the temple you pass through Nandaimon gate. The size of the gate is huge and it is guarded by two statues. The Buddha hall is one of the biggest wooden buildings in the world and it is situated inside the main compound of the temple. The Great Buddha hall houses World’s largest bronze Buddha statue.The temple is also listed in UNESCO world heritage site.
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