Nara Park
Although Nara was actually once the capital of Japan in the early days, they are not famous for that. Instead tourists like us went there for their deer on the street. We were not disappointed. There were tons of deers in Nara Park which followed anyone who was holding the deer crackers. You can easily buy deer crackers from street vendors. They all cost the same, about 200 yen.
Our kids enjoyed feeding the deer. Unfortunately, our youngest one accidentally scared one of the deers from behind and she bit him on his chest. Luckily it wasn’t a deep bite and he healed in a couple of days.
Todaiji Temple
Besides the Nara Park, the Todaiji Temple was also a must see attraction in Nara. The temple consists of multiple buildings and was originally built more than a thousand years ago. Of all the buildings, we had only visited the Nandaimon Gate and the Great Buddha Hall.
Nandaimon Gate
As you approach the Todaiji Temple from Nara Park, the first structure you would see is the Nandaimon Gate. Inside the gate, you will find two imposing statues of around 8 meters in height. It was a solemn entrance to the temple.
Great Buddha Hall
The Great Buddha Hall is the main hall of Todaiji Temple. It was the largest wooden structure in the world and housed a bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha. There was a small entrance fee to enter the hall and see the statue. Knowing that our kids would not be too enthusiastic about the Buddha statue, we did not enter the Great Buddha Hall but instead headed straight to the Kasugayama Mountain Trail for a hike.
Kasugayama Mountain Trail
The Kasugayama Mountain Trail was located inside the Kasugayama Primeval Forest. The forest had forbidden hunting for over a thousand year and had a sense of sacredness around it. If you stick to the path, the hike is quite easy. The entire length of the trail was 11km but you can turn back at any point. There was a quiet stream along the trail. It's a very pleasant experience.