Nara

Posted on June 4, 2007 by Hanuman Welch

Seriously, it's one of the most amazing places I've been thus far. I had originally written Nara off as being a sort of post script to the whole Kyoto/Kansai experience. When speaking to other travelers about Kansai, conversation and tips usually hover around the big draws. Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, and Kiyomizu temple. Nara is almost an afterthought.

"Oh and you should really go to Nara..."

We made it to Nara with about forty minutes to get into the cities main attraction, the Daibutsu. The temple closes at five thirty and costs around 500 yen. It’s easy to get there by way of Kyoto station. The temple is bordered by Nara's second largest tourist draw, the deer. More on those randy bastards later.

The Daibutsu, housed in the Daibutsuden Hall, is over fifteen meters high and weighs roughly twenty five tons. Todaiji Temple is where the Daibutsu and other various pavilions and temples are housed, but the Daibutsu is the main attraction. The hall itself is the largest wooden structure on the planet, and any attempt on my part to describe it will actually do it negative justice. Rest assured that when you are first confronted with the hall itself you're next words will be, "Wowww" ...or some variation thereof.

The main gate leading to the Daibutsu hall is flanked by two massive wooden sentinels. Carved protectors of the Daibutsu, they are charged with its protection. Upon entering the main hall the sheer scale of the Daibutsu takes a few minutes to process. No matter how many photos you try to snap, there is no way to truly capture its proportions. This particular Buddha is seated in the full lotus. Its hands are positioned in one of the more well known mudras. Along with the Buddha there are three other very large and imposing statues in the hall. Two protectors and one Bodhizatfa, another type of protector/student sculpture. This has been by far one of the my favorite visits to a temple.

Now about those damn deer. In the ShintoThe traditional animistic belief system of Japan. It was the official state religion of Japan until the postwar period. religion, deer are messengers of the Gods. They roam freely throughout the park that encirlcles Todaiji. Deer biscuits are available for purchase and can be fed to any one of the hundreds of deer that happen to strike your fancy. These nappy she beasts flock to anyone even remotely smelling of edibles. I liken them to the seagulls of the Florida coast, only slightly more attractive and tolerable. Seriously though, these things are wicked cute. And I hate using the word cute. Even more then using the word wicked. The deer are amicable enough and are very curious. They make for great pictures.

In conclusion, Nara is worth a trip to Kansai in and of itself. Add Kyoto or Osaka to the equation and you will be editing pictures off your digital cameras for the next six months.

Cheers.