Day 28-29: The Wonders of Nara

For many people who think of traveling to Japan, Nara is not high on their list of must go to places. As a current resident of Japan I resent that image, because Nara has so much rich history and culture all on its own. Nara was actually Japan's first capital before it was moved to Kyoto so a lot of Japan's World Heritage Sites are in Nara (about twenty to be exact), and many things we often associate with Japan, including sake, were born in Nara. So to make the most of my short weekend in Nara I sought out AirBnB for their guidance on tour guides in Nara. One stood out among the rest as a unique look at Nara through a local's eyes, so I worked as fast as possible to book her since she usually is completely full. Luckily I was able to sign up for her tour for Saturday at 9:30am. So Shika and I dragged ourselves out of bed early to have a quick breakfast and to head to the meeting place of our guide. As we walked through Nara Shika kept saying how much this place felt like the countryside to her and I kept saying how it was just a quaint city since there was still a lot of buildings and things to do. I guess it shows how much perspective can influence how you see new places. We meet our tour guide outside the local subway station at the statue of an important Buddhist monk (whose name I never did manage to write down). He was responsible for the building of one of Nara's most iconic Buddhist temples, and you can see that his statue is facing the temple. At the statue we finally meet Ikuyo our tour guide. She was very sweet and welcoming to us, instantly trying to get to know us better while we waited for the third person of our party (a girl from Malaysia who again I never managed to get the name of). Once she arrived we started our tour by learning more about Ikuyo and how she had come to settle into the Nara area since she had been born in Kyoto. We then began to wander through the local shopping center with Ikuyo showing us different local treats of Nara. The three foods ew actually got to stop at look at were the famous perilla leaf wrapped sushi, Nara-zuke (sake preserved fruits and vegetables not too bad actually probably better tasting to those who like to drink), and finally Yomogi-Mochi (also known as Mugwort Rice Cake made fresh every few hours). I only got to try the Nara-zuke and the Yomogi-Mochi and both were pretty good and a great start to understanding the way of life at Nara. We then made our way officially into Nara Park. Some quick facts on Nara Park are that it houses many World Heritage Sites and is home to the sacred deer of Nara who are allowed to freely wander the park as they please, even across roads. The first place we went to in the park was Kohfukuji Temple. Here our guide explained how to properly pray at a Buddhist temple in Japan, and how you can tell the different between a Buddhist temple and a Shinto temple (original religion of Japan) since both are quite similar. For me there was a big sense of déjà vu from when I went to France and was taught the difference between a Roman Catholic church and a  Gothic church (which I can still tell to this day). At Kohfukuji temple the temple was crowded with tourists but I still found myself enjoying the atmosphere. I also made just to give my offerings, offer a quick prayer, and get my shrine book signed. (These are the usually steps you are supposed to go through at the temples in Japan). I also learned what the proper name of my shrine book was called: a Goshuinshou. Ikuyo was very happy to see I had one since she already had two herself, and encouraged the others either buy one as well or buy individual sheets. Also at Kohfukuji Temple was the second largest pagoda in Japan. It was next to this great tower that we encountered our first Nara deer. He was a lot smaller than I thought they were be but he was very calm and collected despite the title crowd of tourists around him. It was then that Ikuyo started to share her deer biscuits (the only officially sanctioned thing you can feed the deer in the park) with not only us but the other people. She taught us that if you hold the biscuit a little above the deer's head it will bow three times and then eat the biscuit. As a psychology major I was so excited of the notion that a whole park of deer had all been conditioned to do this one action over thousands of generations. It was crazy to think about that, and the fact that if you held up your hands and said the word "Nai" or nothing they will know you have nothing more and will leave you alone. It honestly blew my mind a little and I was so happy that Ikuyo had taught that to us. After the temple however we went to buy our own deer biscuits so we wouldn't take all of Ikuyo's. The challenge here though was that the deer who stood near the carts that sold the biscuits were a lot more aggressive than the other deer. They would see paper and take it out of your hands and eat it (Ikuyo said she had seen them eat people's money before). So mic like she had taught us deer etiquette before Ikuyo also taught us how to get our deer biscuits without losing anything to the deer. Even as I got away with my biscuits I could see other people struggling with the more aggressive deer and there attempts to take their biscuits as fast as possible. In order to enjoy our time more with the deer Ikuyo took us to her favorite spot and to her favorite herd of deer. Compared to the madness of early this other area was serene and the deer relaxed peacefully. There was even some baby deer who cautious at first eventually warmed up to us (bribery will do that to you). I enjoyed this area the most because it felt like I was in a whole different world were I just got to enjoy myself and connect with the deer of Nara park. My friend Shika also had a great time with her spirit animal (her name Shika actually means deer so it was quite funny to make deer jokes with her), but the poor other girl seemed scared that the deer would bite her. No many how many times we told her that their teeth weren't sharp and they knew not to bite she was still really sacred. We sadly had to eventually leave this area and continue with the tour. The next part of the park  we went to was a pond with a bridge and gazebo over the water. Ikuyo showed us this unique place called a Suikinkutsu there were if you poured water down a hole it ran into a cave underneath and sounded like music. It was amazing to hear and we all took turns pouring the water to hear the music. Then Ikuyo surprised us again and gave us (and some kids nearby) some food to feed the koi fish. She gave it to us in these little origami bowls that she made herself (one of her other jobs is actually an origami teacher). Once we finished feeding the koi we saw that there was a couple taking wedding pictures, Shika and I had some fun recreating their poses and taking pictures on our own. After that we made our way to another famous temple. Along the way we saw many Stone Lanterns along the path and Ikuyo explained that Nara had four hundred stone lanterns and one thousand hanging lanterns that were lit during special festivals. There were very beautiful covered in moss and mis matched fro different states of repair and disrepair. We also saw many more deer on the path and took turns feeding some and trying to encourage our new friend to let the deer eat from her hand. Eventually we made it to Kasuga Taisha Shrine a famous Shinto shrine which actually turned our to be a complex of different shrines based one what you were wishing or praying for. Ikuyo took us to Meoto-Daikokusha shrine which was a shrine for marriage and love. Considering that all of the members of the party were single we were very excited about the prospect of better luck with romance. The shrine itself was very pretty though and was very unique from other Shinto shrines I had already been to. There I made my offerings (wishing for happiness in love) and got my Goshuinshou signed too. Shika and the other girl bought charms to help them get a boyfriend and while I was very tempted to get one on my own I was sure I would lose it and being bad luck on myself so I just stuck with my wish. We then made our way to the main shrine were again I made my offering and got my book signed, but I also bought a fortune in the form of a little deer. Luckily for me it was english because it turned out to be the best fortune you could get. After walking around the shrine a little enjoying the iconic shrine imagery in Japan. We then made our way to lunch at a local famous udon noodle shop close to the temple. It was my first real time having Udon and it was amazing. I also had a fancy version of matcha tea and it was really good too. We then started to take the scenic route to the most famous temple in Nara park. Along the way though we stopped at Ikuyo's favorite shop so she could buy more biscuits for herself. While I was looking at some of the souvenirs one of the deers hanging out at the shop dove into my pocket and tired to steal my biscuits! I was mortified but acted quickly so all he ended up getting was some plastic.I felt a little bad for him but he was still too pushy for me to give him a biscuit. We then meet more deer along the way and eventually made it to Sangatsu-do Hall one fo the many Halls of the Todaji Temple area. This hall was very special though because once a year a special ceremony happens were a monk runs along the hall's balcony with very long pole bath is partly on fire. It is part of a tradition of cleansing and many people turn out to go see it. Sadly the ceremony had already happened but Ikuyo had been there earlier in the year to see it and was able to describe it in great detail for us. As was respectful I made my offerings and got my Goshuinshou signed and enjoyed to beautiful views from the balcony. We then made our way to the side of the building where there was free water and places to sit. Here Ikuyo surprised us yet again by giving us a little mini origami class. She taught us how to make little flower baskets, and even showed us her advanced technique by making a origami deer! She even had pre made some for each of us to have. Out of all the things I got in Nara this gift was by far the most special. After the break we made our way to the Great Bell tower where the bell for the Todaji Temple was held. It was the Great Bell for no reason it was of an impressive size, but we couldn't hear it be rung until later that evening at 8pm. From the Great Bell we made our way to our last stop Todaji Temple's main building. Sadly this was where we had to say good bye to Ikuyo since it was the end of her tour. She did tell us a lot about the temple and what to do inside, but I was really sad to see her go. She was so kind to us and was one of the best tour guides I had ever had. Armed with her knowledge we entered the Todaji temple home to the Great Buddha of Nara. It's also interesting to note that the temple is the largest wooden structure in the world, so not only was Buddha impressive but also the building that hosted it. Buda was 15m tall and had many other statues of significance around it. One of the most interesting things in the temple was a hold that had been carved into one of the columns that is the size of one of Buddha's nostrils. It is said that if you climb through that you will live a long life and be knowledgeable. Now if you know me you know I never turn a challenge, so despite being one of the only adults in line to try and squeeze through the hole I took the nostril challenge. It was surprisingly easy since I had had a lot of practice going through doggie doors. I managed to also convince my friend Shika to try it and she managed to get through it so you now know two very long living and wise girls. After that we did the usually temple activities and then made for the exit. Shika and I then want to share the last bit of deer biscuits with small herd Ikuyo had recommended for us. This was the only time Ikuyo's information was wrong or the deer were more hungry than usually because they ended up chasing Shika (the good friend I was I stood to the side and took pictures). After our quick escape we made our way back to the city section of Nara. We decided to have dinner at a famous Okinmiyakai restaurant in Nara. Before that we rested at the fountain we meet at earlier. There I saw a street artist selling cute drawings of dogs and deer. I decided to cave and commission him to make a drawing of Scout (my dog). While we waited for the drawing to finish we went shopping around Nara and eventually went back to our AirBnB to rest a little before dinner. After that we finally made our way to dinner which was one fo the best choices of the day. The food was so good and I even got to try and new Japanese dish called Ashatayaki (dough balls with octopus dipped into a soup). After dinner since most of the shops and bars were closing (it was only around 8:30pm so I was pretty shocked things closed this early on a Saturday) we made our way back to our AirBnB and got some well deserved rest. The next morning we started early again to see some more sights before we left for Nara in the afternoon. After a quick stop at the train station to drop our stuff at lockers we made our way to Gangoji temple. This one was very special because it is the first Buddhist temple in Japan. Founded in the 6th century some of the parts of the different buildings in the complex are still original. Despite this rig history however there were not many people visiting and far less than I expected. I think I enjoyed this temple the most because of this reason. It was so peaceful and I never felt troubled walking around. You could also tell that the people who worked there curly loved and cared for the temple. Plus much of the temple was surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. I really began to understand how temples and shrines in Japan were supposed to be. A place for someone to come with their worries and troubles and be comforted. After the serene experience of Gangoji Temple we returned to the hustle and bustle of the tourist section to visit the Nara National Museum. Here many important Buddhist and Cultural artifacts were kept. Unbeknownst to Shika and I there was actually an extra exhibit on display holding national treasures of Japan. It felt like thousands people came out to see the famous works of art and pottery. The most famous was the Yoben-Tennoku tea bowl. Form I learned later on this bowl is only one fo three bowls to be made as it was, and is the only complete one. The english title of was A Brilliant Universe Reflected in a National Treasure. After a look at the other works of art we decided that we should get a close look which was a slightly bad idea because the line to see the bowl took 40 minutes. I felt like I was in the crowd to see the Mona Lisa. But unlike the Mona Lisa the Yoben-Tennoku bowl was as brilliant as the hype around it said it was. It was a good thing I had gotten to see it too because apparently the brilliant glaze that was used for the bowl has still yet to be recreated. Meaning I will probably never get to see the brilliance of that bowl again. The rest of the art on exhibit was also brilliant but I didn't completely understand all of it since I did not know enough Japanese to translate it. After the exhibit we went to he Museum Shop where I narrowly escaped buying more stuff, or so I had thought because as the staff directed us to the exit we ran into another Museum Shop that Shika wanted to stop at to see what they had. I stayed as strong as possible until I saw a really cool blue shirt that I caved and bought something. After my shameful purchase we made our way to the famous Nara sushi shop we had been told about the previous day. We got some for the train and our friends and then made our way to the train station. There we eventually got back to Kyoto where we boarded our Shinkansen without trouble, and enjoyed our unique sushi. We eventually made it back to good old Totsuka where I grabbed a quick dinner and the tucked in for the night. That concludes my time in Nara, thank you if you actually read this far and I hope to update for this week sometime Friday.