Nara Park

Background

When Heijō-kyō was founded as the capital in 710, Nara became Japan's first international city. The deer of Kasuga Taisha are regarded as messengers of the gods, and today they amble up to visitors asking for 'shika senbei' (deer crackers) and bow their thanks; the Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji is one of the world's largest wooden buildings, where the Vairocana Buddha has sat for 1,300 years. Kōfuku-ji's five-storey pagoda and the thousands of stone lanterns of Kasuga Taisha layer up the beauty of 'wa' (harmony).

Local customs

• Feed the deer only with the park's official shika senbei (about JPY 200), whole crackers rather than teasing them with bits
• a deer bowing is asking for food — don't startle them
• worship etiquette at Tōdai-ji is as at any temple.

Religion & beliefs

Tōdai-ji (Kegon school) and Kōfuku-ji (Hossō school) are Buddhist sacred sites, while Kasuga Taisha is Shinto (guardian of the Fujiwara clan). It's a place where Shinto and Buddhism meet — follow each one's etiquette and keep quiet.

Travel tips

• Spring and autumn are best (cherry blossom, autumn leaves, and the Wakakusa-yama grass burning in January). The park is free
• Tōdai-ji's Great Buddha Hall costs about JPY 800
• the deer are most active in the early morning
• buy shika senbei from the park's stalls
• stay a night to experience 'Naramachi' after dark.