Last week Thursday we traveled to Nara. The deer were so cute there! We saw them as soon as we walked up from the subway. Despite not having any deer biscuits or any other food to feed them, one of them liked me a lot and started to rub its head and antlers against me. As we continued to walk, deer could be seen wherever there were biscuit carts and people.
Our first stop was Todaiji, the Great Eastern Temple, are very large Buddhist complex. Rain began to fall from what seemed to be all directions on our way there, so we took shelter under the great gate outside of the complex. The deer also knew what to do, so they took shelter there as well.
We headed to the main complex after the rain lightened up. Within the walls, the lawn and plant life were kept well, but what took the show was the main hall. The hall was gigantic, as it holds the world’s largest bronze statues of Buddha.
We also visited Kasuga Grand Shrine where there many stone lamps along the path to the shrine. Many of the individual shrines there are devoted to a god, so taking picture of them was not allowed. We also visited the Kohfukuji Temple which had a beautiful pagoda.
Next week is my homestay with a family, so that will be among the topics of my next journal.
