Koofukuji

Now that our time in Kyoto was coming to an end, we hopped on a train to head to Nara park. It was an easy 45 train ride and then we hopped off and walked into the park! The first thing we saw when we walked in was a little cart selling some cracker things. These were a specially formulated food for the deer that wouldn’t disrupt their natural diet too much. We picked up a pack and walked in to see herds of deer roaming the park and bowing to passerby (sometimes pretty aggressively!) to get crackers.

We fed the deer for a while and then wandered deeper into the park, through mossy trees and paths lined with stone lanterns. Eventually, we found a couple cool temples, then set our sights on the Todai-ji temple.

Walking up, this temple was absolutely stunning, with a scale that defied all attempts to photograph or describe it. The only feeling I can compare it to is when I first saw the Great Wall—that awe when you realize something is SO much bigger than you expected. Todai-ji is the largest wooden structure in the world, and the Buddha it houses is the largest gilded bronze Buddha in the world. It is also home to several colossal wooden guardians statues that look like final bosses from some video game.Read more