Saiin

In an attempt to beat the crowds we rose early and caught to train to Nara where we caught a bus to the Park. The journey takes approximately two hours so we arrived at around 9am. Nara Park was already bustling with tourists so we headed straight for Todai-ji Temple to see the Vairocana Buddha. Housed in an impressive structure it is almost 15 metres in height. It is made of cast bronze, plated in gold. The Great Buddha Hall is one of the largest wooden structures in the world. The 660 hectare park contains other interesting buildings, a bell tower and is also home to hundreds of freely roaming deer. Considered the messengers of the gods, Nara's deer have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated as a natural treasure. Deer crackers are for sale around the park, and some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed. Next we walked back to the station and caught the train to Inari. Fushimi Inari Shrine is right at the station exit and is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates donated by companies and individuals. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, resulting in many fox statues across the shrine grounds. It was also a very popular tourist destination. This ancient shrine was founded in the year 711 to house the Shinto deity Inari Okami, making it a site of worship for more than thirteen centuries. The name “Inari” comes from Inari being the god of rice. We spent a couple of hours walking the trails and exploring the shrine before heading back to Kyoto.Read more