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Nara | Near Nara | Kinki Area: Osaka | Kobe | North Kinki | Kii || Kyoto
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A deer grazes behind the Daibutsuden in the grounds
of Todaiji temple (above). The 5-story pagoda reflected
in the SarusawaPond at Kofukuji temple (right) |
Nara
Together with Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, Nara is one of the four cities that make up the Kansai region. Capital of Japan during the Nara Period (710~94), this city has temples and shrines that predate even
those in Kyoto. But because it is less well-known than its neighbor,
it tends to be quieter and more serene. Perhaps this is why the
wild deer seem so at home, wandering the temple grounds and even
the city streets. The deer are traditionally considered sacred
messengers from the Gods. Nara Park, also called Deer Park, is to the east of Nara station and contains
most of the city's main attractions.
On your way into the park, you'll see Kofukuji temple. The temple was built in Asuka to the south, before it and the capital were moved to Nara in
710. It was the temple of the Fujiwara family and was once the most powerful in the old province of
Yamato and was protected by an army of warrior monks. After suffering
a lot of damage, the temple was restored by Tokugawa Ieyasu in
1600 but many buildings were again destroyed by fire in 1717.
The temple's Treasure House is home to an important collection of early Japanese sculpture.
Other buildings which survived the centuries include a 3-story
pagoda from 1143 and a 51m 5-story pagoda, built in 1426 and the
second tallest in Japan. The reflection of this pagoda in the
Sarusawa Pond is one of Nara's most famous views. Todaiji temple, founded in 752, is most famous for its giant 8th-century
bronze Buddha. The statue is housed in the Daibutsuden, the world's largest wooden structure and a World Heritage Site.
There are several other noteworthy buildings in the temple complex,
such as the 25m Nandaimon gate and the Sangatsudo hall. The temple's festival is held in mid-March. Kasuga Shrine was founded in 709 to protect Nara as the new capital and moved
to its present location in 768. It has a unique style of architecture,
known as Kasuga-zukuri, although the present buildings are reconstructions dating from
1863. The approach to the shrine is lined with 1,800 stone lanterns.
On the far side of Nara station is Toshodaiji temple. Founded by the Chinese priest Ganjin in 759, it was the head temple of the Ritsu Buddhist sect. It
is one of the few temples relatively undamaged over the centuries
and has several important buildings, including the oldest existing
example of Nara palace architecture. A statue of Ganjin in the
Mieido (Founder's Hall) is considered one of the finest image sculptures
in Japan.
One of Nara's most important industries is the manufacture of
sumi (india ink) and brushes for calligraphy. Souvenirs, such as Nara
dolls and Akahadayaki pottery, can bought at the Nara Commerce
and Tourist Building near Kintetsu-Nara station. Local delicacies
include narazuke, pickled eggplants and cucumbers, miwa-somen, thin noodles chilled in the winter wind, and kakinoha-zushi, sushi rice topped with mackerel and wrapped in persimmon leaves.
Near Nara
To the southwest of Nara on the Kansai Line is Horyuji, one of the most important temples in Japan. Founded in 607 by
Prince Shotoku, considered the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism, the temple
is in the town of Ikaruga and is also known as Ikaruga-dera. The temple owns one of the most important collections of art
from the Asuka Period (593~710) onward. The Saiin (Western Precinct) is the oldest existing temple compund in Japan
and contains the oldest wooden buildings in the world, including
a 5-story pagoda. In the 8th century, the Toin (Eastern Precinct) was built on the site of the Ikuraga-no-miya
palace, where Shotoku died.
The Yamanobe path, one of the oldest roads in Japan, runs south
for 35km from Nara to Sakurai and is lined with many temples, tombs and statues. You can take
the Sakurai Line as far as Tenri or one of the other stops along
the way and walk the the rest of the path. Beyond Sakurai is the
ancient capital of Asuka, an area full of tombs of emperors and scattered
remains of temples and palaces. This is the birthplace of Japanese
Buddhism but is now a quiet rural village. Shotoku is believed
to have been born at Tachibanadera temple.
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