After a fun day last day in Kyoto with my traveling companions Paul and Gen, I decided to change my plan to visit Hiroshima today and go with them to Nara. We also met a great couple, Matt and Lindsey, who joined us too. Our group of five headed to the train station early to do Nara in a day.
Nara became the first capital of Japan in 710. Prior to that, the capital was moved for religious reasons after the death of every emperor. But, Nara was only the capital for 75 years because of a big scandal where a Priest seduced an empress and took control of the throne. They subsequently moved the capital to Kyoto to get away from the powerful clergy in Nara. Don't you just love Imperial intrigue?!
Instead of making a rushed visit to Nara's eight UNESCO sites, our goal was to enjoy the wonderful park, Nara-Koen, which contains the famous Todai-ji temple. It was a goregous day to explore some nature (near a cute city with restrooms and good restaurants). There are over 1,000 deer roaming around Nara-Koen park. Before Buddhism, the deer were thought to be messengers of the gods. Today they are a major tourist attraction. We had a ball feeding and taking photos with our favorite deer.
It was easy to find the Todai-ji temple, because it contains the largest wooden building in the world, Daibutsu-den Hall. The massive temple holds one of the largest bronze figures in the world. The huge statue of Buddha is flanked by two other Buddhas and several guardians. The temple is extremely impressive!
After another walk through the park, it was time for a late lunch. We found a great Japanese restaurant and the five of us were given a private room. We lounged sans shoes on the floor and had an amazing meal. Then it was off to the train station to go our separate ways. Gen and I took the bullet train back to Tokyo together and parted in Tokyo station.
It was wonderful to make great friends, and experience some of Japan's traditional culture in Kyoto and Nara!
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