When we arrive from the Osaka Castle our bags are packed so we check out without a problem and then it is back to the parking garage where we watch our car being brought down. And then we can finally load it up and on we go.
Our next planned stop is Nara, which was the capital of Japan between 710 and 784, and is relatively close to Osaka. We miss the entrance to the highway a few times near our hotel and with the one way streets we have to wander a bit before being able to return through some streets that didn’t appear to be lead to the highway but were the only way in fact to reach it in our direction of travel. After that we hope for a smooth drive and it is so until we enter Nara where it suddenly is stop and go. After a quarter hour of stop and go traffic we pass the traffic accident that was holding up the traffic and soon we arrive at the central historical location where we park.
Almost immediately after leaving the parking lot we meet one the major attractions of Nara, the wild/tamed Sika deer. They are regarded as heavenly animals protecting the city and the country according to an old legend that states that the god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital.
And they are lounging everywhere and seem very used to the people. You can approach them and probably even pet them though not sure if that is recommended.
There are quite a few places to buy food for the deer and they are quite used to humans sometimes even running after them to get the last crumbs of food. But mostly they sit in the shade trying to avoid the oppresive heat.
We laugh at the deer that seem to stay in line to buy food but more likely they wait for someone to buy the food to mob that person.
We then pas through the Grand South Gate, completed in 1203, and from here the deer seem to be forbidden as we do not see any additional ones.
The second major attraction in Nara, besides the deer, is the Todai-ji temple home to the largest bronze statue in Japan, Daibutsu – a huge Buddha. At the time of construction around AD 750 the project nearly bankrupted the Japanese economy consuming almost all available bronze in Japan. The main temple hall that houses the Buddha, Daibutsuden Hall, is also claimed to be the largest wooden structure in the world.
Lots of people seem to be visiting the temple so there is a line at the entrance but after getting tickets it gets smoothly and we can see the main building in the distance. After entering the Buddha is right in front and is really is the largest we have seen since being in Japan and it is framed by two smaller (still large) statues nearby.
You can go around it so of course we explore the backside and also look at other objects around that seem to have scriptures or similar written on them and some drawings.
We walk around both statues and admire the details while trying to decide if the sun at the back of the Buddha is real gold or just covered with gold.
There are also protectors at the entrance likely to protect the gold and maybe the bronze. Guardian protector statues not real guards of course.
There is also a small exhibit of statue heads inside the temple hall but the more interesting thing is a hole in one of the support beams through which children try to pass. It seems it has a significance but we are not able to deduce it on the spot. The internet however helps so we found out afterwards that the hole is the size of the Daibutsu nostril and whoever passes through it will gain enlightment in the next life, go figure.
After exiting Todai-ji we walk a bit more through the area and visit one more temple Kofuku-ji another Unesco World Heritage site. Parts of it were under construction but still we saw the main pagoda and one of the halls. And then on we go to the last attraction for the day, a Ninja Museum!
