Nara

Nara, Nara, Nara.  This was the third time since we moved to Japan that I had an opportunity to visit this small city near Kyoto, and this time I finally made it.  Previously, time constraints just never allowed it to happen.  Just a 35 minute train ride from Kyoto, it has some of Japans most important shrines, and is home to the largest bronze statue of Buddha in the world.  Well worth the short trip from Kyoto, but with so much to see and do Kyoto, people rarely seem to take the time.

We started our day at Todai-ji, a Buddhist temple complex which is where the enormous Buddha can be found.  Coming in at 49 feet tall, he was pretty impressive.

This building, until recently, was the largest wooden structure in the world.  The Buddha is inside of it.

The Daibutsu as they call it

incense purification before entering the hall

We then made the short walk over to the Kasuga shrine, or 'lantern shrine'.  There are some 3000 lanterns lining the walk up toward the Shinto shrine, and being situated within a grove of trees, it was quite beautiful.

temple worker

There are deer EVERYWHERE in Nara.  Wandering  freely.  They are believed to be messengers from the gods.

Couldn't stop taking photos of these lanterns covered in moss...

Templed out, but so worth the side trip for part of a day...