Our day in Nara

Well, after training and working for almost 9 days straight we finally had a day off. On Thursday Sept. 7th we met my friend Yumi in her hometown of Nara. Nara is a small town about 30 minutes from here (using the express train).

I taught Yumi in Vancouver and she was thrilled to have us visit her. She works as a part-time tour guide and offered to show us the sites, so of course we accepted.


Nara has large historical roots in Japan because in the 8th century it became the grand diocese of Buddhism. Many of the shrines and temples saw were originally built in the 700's, but some had been reconstructed in the 13th century due to damage by fire and earthquakes.

Yumi met us at the train station and it was there we started our 3.5 hours tour.
The first place Yumi took us was to Kofukuji Temple. This temple was founded in 669, however the other buildings surrounding this temple were destroyed. Near this temple is a 5 story pagoda which has been rebuilt about 5 times due to fire. We were not allowed to enter the pagoda, but were told that from the outside it looks like there are 5 stories, but in reality the inside is just one open space.

One of the main things we noticed while walking around was the abundance of deer. Yumi told us that deer are believed to be a messenger of god and therefore they roam about the town as the town's inhabitants do.

These animals are extremely used to people and it is not uncommon for them to walk up to you looking for food. Yumi told us that the town spends a lot of money taking care of the deer. If someone accidentally hits one with their car, the driver receives a hefty penalty. There are several deer houses (a.k.a – deer hospitals) around to take care of injured, sick, and pregnant deer.

It was neat to see these animals up close, especially the baby ones (soooooo cute).

From there we walked to the Todaiji Temple (a world heritage site). The architecture is absolutely amazing! The temple is the largest wooden structure in the world (no nails…nothing…made from only wood). The gate to the temple is lined with two large statues. They are the protectors of the Buddha. These too are made from only wood. Unfortunately we couldn't get a great photo of the statues because they are protected by a mesh fence.

Once we entered the gate, we walked towards the entrance where we had to pay 500 yen. From there we walked towards the temple, but before that we had to cleanse ourselves with holy water. Pour it onto your left hand first, right hand second, and the remainder of the water slides down the handle.

Just before the temple doors was a statue wearing a red cloak. Yumi said that this figure named Pindola tried to beat the Buddha in terms of rank, but did not succeed. As a result he was ban from the temple. The interesting thing about this figure is that he is supposed to have great healing powers. It is said that if you have something that ails you, you are to rub the spot on his body first and then rub the corresponding part on your body and you will be healed. I decided to give it a try with my knee. So, let's see if it works :)

After learning about Pindola, we entered the temple. Wow!! It was such a breathtaking site! The bronze Buddha in front of us was MASSIVE! To put it into some sort of perspective to you, the Buddha's ear is 2 meters tall. This Buddha is the largest in Japan. Yumi pointed out that the body was old looking while the head was fairly new. This is because its head fell off in an earthquake and had to be reconstructed.

To each side of the Buddha are its disciples. These figures are just as gorgeous as the big guy himself.

We walked around and came across a large wooden pillar with a small hole at the bottom. It is said that if you fit through this hole, you will be very smart. It was quite amusing watching people try to squeeze through it. Only a couple of people made it....... ;)

From there we walked up to Nigatsu-do Hall. This is a spot where many monks come to pray. The view is amazing. You could see all of Nara and could even see the 5 story pagoda in the background.

After about 2 hours or so we proceeded to Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The interesting thing about Japanese people is that they are open to several religions. For example, if you ask them what faith they believe in, they will most likely respond 'Buddhism' and / or 'Shintoism'. In the temples, Buddha is evident, but shrines on the other hand are spiritual grounds. If you see white pieces of folded paper, it is a sign that the area holds a presence of god. Temples have no specific color to them, whereas the shrines are a burnt orange color.

Surrounding the shrine's grounds are several small planks of wood tied to trees, fences etc. If you donate some money you can get one of these planks and write one wish on it. During certain times of the year the monks collect these planks, burn them and pray for you and your one wish.

After our amazing tour we walked along Nara's main strip. We looked in many shops and Yumi took us into the Sega arcade to do some puri-kara. This is very common is Japan. What you do is go into a little booth and pose a bunch of different ways. After that you go into another booth where you can view the pictures and edit / draw on them. It was so hilarious. Yumi got a kick out of it and we had a lot of fun too!

Later on we went to the 100 yen store (the best one we've seen yet) and for some dinner. We were pretty exhausted when we left Nara, but we had to make a quick pit-stop at a store called Vivre (a wicked department store). We went to the same one in Nara as we have been searching for a comfy couch. We found one in Nara, but it was too far to be delivered, so we went to a closer location. Thankfully we found the same one!! Now we have a big comfy couch! Woooo hoooooo!!!!!!! J It folds down into a bed too, so there is a place to crash if you want to come for a visit!! :)

Nara was our first, real sight-seeing day and I know there will be more to come. This country has so many places to see, it's great! Until next time……



September 9, 2006

To view ALL of the pictures we took in Nara....please click here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/33808451@N00/sets/72157594276038970/