A Day in Ancient Nara

After a relaxing day at sea to rest our feet from tramping around Tokyo, we took an all-day excursion to Nara, one of the ancient capitals of Japan. Nara was established in 710 as the first permanent capital of the country, and for that reason also houses some of the most historically significant temples and shrines, every one of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We visited three sites - Horyu-ji, Todai-ji and Kasugataisha, each of which has its own significance. In Buddhism 'ji' means temple; Kasugataisha is a Shinto shrine. The 'native' religion in Japan is Shinto; Buddhism was introduced in the 7th Century from China and Korea, and except for the period between 1600 and 1867 where the Tokugawa Shogun family ruled Japan and installed Confucianism to maintain social order, both Buddhism and Shintoism have been practiced together by much of the population. Shintoism is the official state ideology since the Meiji Restoration after 1867, but people are free to practice whichever religion they prefer.

Horyu-ji has the oldest surviving wooden structures in the world dating back to around year 700, Todai-ji has the largest wooden structures in the world, and Kasugataisha is known for its thousands of hanging bronze lanterns and the garden of stone lanterns. Nara Park, where Todai-ji and Kasugataisha are located, is also home to over 1,000 Sika Deer that roam around looking for handouts. You can buy 'deer crackers', the only food you are allowed to give them. They are not very large, and quite cute, as you'll see. The deer are considered messengers of the gods and are therefore sacred animals.

Horyu-ji is quite impressive, especially as it has been used continuously for observance of tradition for over 1,400 years. It is now a museum as well, housing many religious artefacts and artworks classified as Japanese Historical Treasures. It was the first Japanese treasure to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

The Pagoda is 32 1/2 metres, or about 106 feet tall. The central pillar inside is made from a single Japanese Cypress tree that was felled in 594! The people who built it must have been geniuses of their time, since they also 'earthquake-proofed' it, using flexible joints to attach the tiers to the pillar. The metal structure on top is shaped like a series of scythes, since lightning was considered a celestial monster and the scythes would repel it. This structure did protect the pagoda once in the 1200s when it was struck, but now you can see the wire running from there to lighting rods grounded near the tower.

The Main Hall

One of two large guardian deities outside the central gate.
They protect the teachings of Buddha from evil spirits and
protect the grounds of the temple

A little about pagodas: they are built to house relics of significance to the particular temple, such a bones or ashes of a Buddha or high-ranking monk, as well as scriptures and other sacred objects. They are usually five-tiered to represent the five elements: earth, water, fire, wind and air, and the spiritual journey through the successive tiers towards enlightenment.

The Great Lecture Hall where many sculptures
and artworks are displayed

Yes, we were here! Too bad most people
who offer to take your photo don't know how 
to compose a shot.

Our next stop was at a hotel in the city for a buffet lunch. Everything was very tasty, although it was quite amusing to find spaghetti and pizza on the counter. Obviously this hotel has lots of western tourists as guests.

Our next stop was at the Todai-ji Temple. It is in Nara Park, which is in the centre of the city. It was founded in the mid-700s, but the temple building dates from the Edo period (1615-1867) because it had been burned down twice during civil wars in Japan. According to the history on the ticket, the current width is about 1/3 smaller than the original!

The Great Buddha Hall is immense. They include the dimensions right on your admission ticket: 187 ft across the frontage, 165 feet deep and 159 feet high, not quite a perfect cube! It is practically impossible to fit it into one photo.

The inside of the temple is just as awesome, with a gigantic Buddha statue greeting you as soon as you enter. In total he sits 66 feet high to the top of his head. 

Another view. Buddha's right hand is over
2 1/2 metres, or 8 feet, tall.

One of the side statues, a golden deity.

And another of a Samurai warrior

This guy wanted to check out my bag to see if I had any crackers! The deer are quite tame and used to dealing with tourists. We came past one man speaking to a deer in French and bowing as he did so. Every time he bowed, the deer did, too! It was quite amusing.

Always ready for a handout; too bad she
was busy on her phone.

A deer in front of the temple gate.

Our final stop was at Kasugataisha Shrine. This is the shrine of the Fujiwara Family, who ruled Japan during the Heian period, and it was established in 768. The lanterns have all been donated by worshippers over many years, and now there are over 3,000 of them throughout the shrine. On two occasions in the year, they are all lit at once: February 3 for the Setsubun Mantoro Festival celebrating the beginning of spring, and August 14-15 for the Chugen Mantoro celebrating the beginning of autumn. It must be quite the spectacular sight; and I wonder how many people they need to light them all!

Along the roadway to the sanctuary

One of the buildings on our way to the sanctuary

The Chumon, or Main Gate to the Sanctuary. It has 
only been open to the public since 2016.

Daily prayers for the nation and the people are held here, with over 2,200 rituals held in a year. 

Here are photos of just a few of the lanterns.

Most impressive is the darkened room inside the sanctuary where they have lit a number of lanterns (with electric candles) so you can see what it would look like during the Mantoro festivals.

In the brochure we received with our tickets, it says that the shrine 'is the only place in the world where humans, nature and animals live together peacefully under the protection of the deities'. A lovely way to describe it, and it certainly feels that way.

There were lots of deer wandering about the garden of stone lanterns as we made our way back to the parking lot and our bus.

All in all, it was a very good tour, even if we had an hour's bus ride each way. Everything we saw was very impressive, and, though we couldn't always follow our tour guide, both in what he was saying and where he was leading us around the sites, we discovered a lot about spiritual life in Japan. Thank goodness for the Internet, where I get lots of the information for the blog.

Next up we are in Kochi, where we have a half-day tour to visit yet another temple.