An absolute must-visit day-trip from Kyoto is Nara! It can be reached in less then a hour by train and makes a lovely visit outside Kyoto. Actually, Japanese trains are quite interesting, so even the train-ride itself can be regarded as part of the trip. Not only is it a nice opportunity to see the landscape, but try to sit in the front of the train, and you can even observe the driver (very interesting!).
Front of the train: train driver and some train-spotters on the platform
In 710 Nara became the first permanent capital of Japan, and still Nara is full of historical treasures: many (large) temples, shrines and old districts.
Todaji temple, Nara
One of the most famous temples in Nara is probably the Todaji temple because the temple houses an enormous bronze statue of Buddha. The statue is 15 meter tall, and weighs more then 500 ton! It's very impressive to stand in front of the daibutsu when entering the temple.
The Daibutsu in Todaji temple
Bronze statue of Buddha in Todaji temple
Located in the back of the temple is a pillar with a hole that is the same size as the statue's nostril. (around 0,5meter). Our guide has told us that the one of the monks who used to work on making the Buddha had to use the statue's nostril to get out of the Buddha once it was finished! Now, you can try the same with the hole in the pillar. And it's said, that if you manage to squeeze through, you will be blessed with enlightenment in your next life. Seeing the size of the hole, and the difficulty to get through, this enlightenment will be mostly given to children or small people!
Although not really a historical treasure, still a very popular attraction in Nara: deer. Nara is full of deer that roam freely around in Nara park, where many of Nara's temples and museum are located. Deer are said to be the messengers the Gods in Shinto, and have become a symbol of Nara and a national treasure. The deer are quite tame (except when you have food ;) and you can walk around them and feed them with special crackers you can buy at the park.
Deer in front of the Kojukuji temple
Deer by the lanterns of Kusaga Taisha shrine
Dry garden destroyed by deer walking around ;)
Another popular attraction in Nara were we, very surprisingly, ourselves! The day we visited Nara, a lot of school from whole over Japan had school trips to Nara. So it was very busy with buses and school children. And many times the children came to us, to ask us if they could take a photo with us! (we are just as cool an attraction as the daibutsu!) A lot of these schools came from areas in Japan were normally not many foreign tourists visit, so they thought it was quite rare to see us :)
Taking a picture with school children in Nara
As we did before when we visited Nara two years ago, we complemented this day with a lunch of Kansai-speciality: Okonomiyaki. Japanese-style pancakes and very delicious!
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