Day 63 - Nara and US elections!

Great Buddha, Begging Deer and Election Distractions

We left Kyoto this morning for Nara, dropped our bags at the hotel and set off exploring. Nearly eight miles later, we had packed quite a lot into our one day here!

Nara was Japan’s imperial capital from 710 to 784, before Kyoto became the seat of the court. Its temples give some sense of how closely religion and government were intertwined.

The main attraction was Tōdai-ji and its enormous bronze Great Buddha, dedicated in 752. Emperor Shōmu commissioned it to help protect a country suffering from epidemics and other troubles. The irony is that constructing the Buddha and its vast temple complex placed further demands on an already struggling population. Magnificent to see, but sobering to consider the human cost.

The scale is difficult to capture in photographs. Even the replica Buddha hand beside Cindy was enormous! We also explored Kōfuku-ji and climbed to Nigatsu-dō’s balcony before continuing through the wooded temple and shrine grounds.

There were plenty of people, particularly whenever the tour buses arrived, and seemingly endless school groups. Yellow hats made the children easy to spot. Cindy ended up posing with three pupils for a cheerful photograph.

And then there were the deer—begging, investigating and generally making themselves part of everyone’s visit. The deer theme continued into the shopping streets, decorating everything from the arcade overhead to strawberry sweets in shop windows.

Away from the busiest areas, we found gardens, moss, stone lanterns and early autumn colour. One garden combined white gravel, dark rocks and rounded green mounds; elsewhere, a brilliant red bridge and torii stood beside a pond. We also stopped to examine different varieties of harvested rice hanging in bundles to dry.

Throughout the day, our attention kept drifting thousands of miles away to the U.S. election results. An odd combination: ancient Japan in front of us, unfolding news from home on our phones.

A full day in Nara, with grand monuments and plenty of small things to notice along the way.Read more