July 15, 2010

After catching the subway to JR Kyoto we got on the Kintetsu Train to Nara. It was a 45 min. ride to Nara. Japan sure has transportation choices.

It's overcast and very humid, no rain so far, so pretty good. We passed by some rice paddy's in the countryside. It's so different in the countryside in relation to the dense city. Nara is Nice!

This is the Sento-Kun. He is one of Nara's 1300th anniversary celebration mascot. His looks appear to reflect Buddhism
and his antlers probably represent the deer population in Nara.




Kasuga Taisha is a Shinto Shrine which is famous for it's lanterns.









There are stone lanterns which line the paths as well as bronze lanterns which hang from the buildings.

Many of the lanterns along the path have been refurbished with wood, probably due to weathering.

The moss growing on the lanterns reflect Buddhism, natural beauty.

This Japanese Wisteria tree which touches the sand is said to be 800 years old. It has been cared for since the Nara period (710-793)

We came across these four sacred sites as we walked around the temple grounds.

This Japanese Cedar is estimated to be over 1000 years old.

These rock formations and the trees are sacred as depicted by the rope which is tied around them. It is believed that a kami resides in each of them.

Within the temple grounds we were afforded another opportunity to perform the cleansing ceremony.

According to our book, "Japan, Its History and Culture", to westerners the emphasis on keeping clean seems superficial, but for the Japanese the notion of ritual purity extends far back in history. Shinto worshippers rinse their hands and mouths before approaching the shrine.

Thanks Dr. J for teaching us the importance of cleansing before entering the temples. It's about respect and I surely wanted to show my respect.

Here's a banner of Senton-Kun on our way over to Todai-ji Temple.




Nara is famous for it's deer population. They are everywhere and are considered sacred.

Don't they look absolutely majestic? Can you imagine how beautiful it must be during the Winter?

Don't be fooled though, they were quite aggressive when they saw the deer crackers.

We found a small eatery and enjoyed Oyaku Donburi (g) & Tempura Donburi (k) for lunch................... yummy.

This was the first entrance to Todai-ji Temple.


On both sides of this entrance were these massive statues.

I'm not sure, but I felt they were there for protection.

Todai-ji is a World Heritage Historic Monument of Ancient Nara.

This is on the inside, after you pass the first entrance. We performed the water cleansing ceremony before entering Todai-ji Temple.

It's huge but still on a smaller scale from the original temple.

Can you see on the top? It's supposed to represent the Phoenix. The entire temple is built on the idea of the Phoenix with it's wings spread out. Nara was the capital of ancient Japan.

This is the statue to the right of Buddha. You can see the Boddhisatva on the Mandala that surrounds Buddha.

Buddha is made of brass. It is said that Japan used up all the brass available throughout Japan, during that time, in order to build this Buddha. Again, you can see the Mandala that surrounds Buddha.

Buddha sits on lotus leaves which means he has reached enlightenment. This is a petal of the lotus plant. Look how big it is in comparison to that woman standing there!

I think this is a guardian.

I couldn't help but admire the architecture of this temple. Look at the work done with the door fixtures and the roofline!











Much of the wood work I saw was fitted and held together with wooden pegs or wood pieces which passed through the main beam or pole. Very intricate work.

We made our way back to Kyoto because of the thunder and variable rain showers. We got to ride the Kintetsu train back to Kyoto. Cool!

Tonight we have some free time, but before we go anywhere we have to pack our bags to check out tomorrow. We will be journeying to Osaka tomorrow.

Although it's raining we're going out to enjoy the Gion Festival. This is a traditional Japanese festival which started in 869 A.D.

This is one of the floats that was on display. There are lots of men sitting inside the float at the top playing traditional Japanese music.

The floats were all lit up and there was excitement in the air. Food booths were everywhere too. Yay, I found a Yukata. I think I'll wear it to the Gion Festival Parade if it's not too hot!






There were so many people dressed in Yukata, summer kimonos, both.....Men

And

Women.

Chee Whoo!

After a night of food and fun we headed back to our hotel for some rest! We walked 14,641 steps today......very tired!