Nara

On Monday we decided to avoid the crowds in Kyoto and head to Nara for the day. Nara is about a 40 minute train ride from Kyoto and was the first permanent capital of Japan, from 710 to 784 AD. Most of Nara's temples, shrines, and museums are contained in one giant park in the middle of the city.

Another notable thing about Nara is that deer, being the messengers from heaven that they are, are allowed to roam free around the park. They are absolutely everywhere and are anxious to be hand fed special deer crackers that can be purchased from street vendors for 150 yen (about $2).

This day was super hot, topping 90 degrees with high humidity and we had to take our time getting around the park. At one point we stopped to sit in the shade and struck up conversations with a nice older man that lives in Nara and, separately, a group of college-age boys and girls that were anxious to practice their English.

Upon entering the park, we headed directly for the Todaiji ("Great Buddha") Temple. When the emperor commissioned this temple in the mid-700s, he intended it to be the center of Buddhism for all of Japan. To this end, a 50-ft tall bronze Buddha was created and is housed inside the temple. While a 50-ft Buddha is certainly impressive in its own right, the building itself is breathtaking in its magnitude. In fact, it is the largest wooden building in the world.

On the recommendation of our new friend, we also visited "January Hall" and The Kasuga Shrine. Both provided some great ancient Japanese imagery. The gardens around the shrine were very pleasant, and with very few other visitors, made for a peaceful and enjoyable day.