National treasures in Nara

A work friend of mine recommended Nara as one of the prettiest towns in the world. We heard tales of tame deer that not only know how to greet you but also understand and respect traffic lights. Some of the tales are true! : )

The miniature deer in Nara are officially a National Treasure, meaning that not only are they respected and appreciated, they are allowed to wander through streets and open spaces freely. That said, all the deer we saw were in forests and the parks around the temples — probably because that’s where tourists (international and domestic alike) buy rice crackers to feed the deer. And they have learned a kind of bow as a way of saying please! Not a full downward dog bow like originally imagined, but at the least a vigorous head nod indicating their interest in your foodstuffs (see video).

Aside from the deer, Nara’s hillside park also features quite a few temples and shrines. We visited a variety of them while walking around the park; many had a picturesque view out over the streets and buildings, which made the sense of calm all the more apparent. The final stop was a temple with a 4 story tall Great Buddha, sitting in one of the largest all wooden structures in Japan.

After having a sit-on-the-floor, multi-course and unexpectedly wonderful tempura lunch for 800 yen, we got a couple of soft serve ice creams (literally, in my case) and headed back towards the train station. Definitely a day well spent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd0iIZp3NVg?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0