Nara, located an hour or so south of Osaka, makes for a great weekend destination. With its easily accessible sites- not saturated by crowds of people- some actually prefer it to Kyoto, the cultural heart of Japan. Known for its many World Heritage sites, it's also the only place I have ever seen tame deer- not necessarily a good thing due to their becoming dependent on handouts of sembe, fried rice crackers that are sold, along with disposable cameras, around every corner of their roaming area. The novelty of feeding flocks of malnourished deer with mangy coats wears off quickly.
There were many wide open parks with places to sit and eat lunch and, with the deer in the distance, it was quite relaxing. There was a feeling of quietness that was somehow refreshing enough to hear. The grasses were like carpets of green, almost like I would expect in some remote prairie in the mountains, not unlike a scene out of The Sound of Music- a film I have never actually seen in its entirety, for better or worse.
Japan's history as a nation goes back to the sixth century BCE; in 714 Nara was established as its first formal capitol.
By 784, the Buddhist monasteries had become enough of an influence as to threaten the aristo- cracy. Thus, the decision was handed down to relocate to a more obedient region in the north for ten years before moving to Kyoto, where it remained for a millennium. We made it to two of the shrines designated with World Heritage status. During what is referred to as the Nara Period, Japan adopted many of the Buddhist practices that are continued today. It was also during this period, in 710, the Fujiwara family, one of the period's most powerful, had the Kofuku-ji temple erected. It remains the symbol of Nara. Looking up five stories, to the top, I imagined what it must have felt like to be assigned to setting the roof tiles with 8th century equipment.
As with most of our tours, we rented bicycles and rode along to our next stop. Coming upon a path, lined by rows of cedar, we began to see the deer, scrounging around for something to eat. They remain primarily in the park which is a little odd because its perimeter is surrounded by busy streets and motorists who seem to fancy jumping on the accelerator only to slam on the breaks fifty yards later. Japan is a brake mechanic's dream. Fortunately, I didn't see any unlucky deer on the side of the road. They were so quick to surround the bearers of sembe I wondered how the merchants, who display it out in the open, manage to keep the deer from overrunning their carts but they kept their distance.
As we made our way to the next temple and found a place to park, we paid our small fare to enter the Todai-ji, the Great Eastern Temple, housing Japan’s largest Buddha figure, constructed in 752.
The structure itself, rebuilt in 1692, is the largest wooden building in the world; its original size was actually one third larger. The amazing thing about many of these structures is the way the craftsmen put them together- without a single nail! Everything is jointed. The only nails that were used are in the doors and on the decorative metal work. Considering the age of these structures, how they're built, and the number of fault lines that crisscross the country, it's remarkable that they've remained largely intact. Nara really is a beautiful city to visit. If time allows, a night at the Nara Hotel,
close to the sites, is supposed to be great. It was built in 1909, in traditional Japanese style. I doubt I'll be doing so anytime soon because of its close proximity to where we live. Although I enjoy Kyoto for the many things it has to offer, Nara is definitely a sanctuary to those of us who aren't up to swimming in a sea of people. Either way, when visiting Japan, Nara is a must.
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