Speaking of Nara, deer are famous along with the Great Buddha. In Nara Prefecture, it is cherished as a messenger of the gods. You can meet such a large number of deer at "Nara Park", the main tourist spot in Nara.

It is a park with a large site in a good location just a short walk from Kintetsu Nara Station, and there are plenty of facilities in the surrounding area. It is not only a place where tourists gather, but also a place for locals to relax.

Besides playing with the deer, it is also recommended to sit on the benches and relax while looking at the wide lawn. This is the spot where you can easily feel that you have come to Nara.

Kofuku-ji Temple, located in a corner of Nara Park, is one of Nara's representative tourist attractions along with Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine.

This temple is said to have been built in 669 to pray for the recovery of Fujiwara no Kamatari from an illness.

Registered as a World Heritage Site as a "Historic Monument of Ancient Nara", the temple retains many historical and cultural heritages.

Kofuku-ji Temple houses and exhibits national treasures and important cultural properties, such as the five-storied pagoda built by Empress Komyo in 730, buildings such as the Kondo Hall and Hokuendo Hall, and numerous Buddhist statues, including the famous statue of Ashura.

Every year in May, the traditional Nara event "Takigiono", which boasts history and tradition, is held.

Everyone knows "Great Buddha of Nara". Todaiji Temple is where the Great Buddha is enshrined.

This temple was built to protect the country and the Buddhism that Emperor Shomu believed in during the Nara period.

The Great Buddha enshrined in the Great Buddha Hall is a wooden building with a height of about 15m and a weight of about 250t. The pedestal alone is about 3m high, about 60m wide left and right, and about 50m deep!

The size is enough to look up, and I am impressed by its presence.

There is a hole in the northeastern pillar inside the Great Buddha Hall, and it is said that the hole is the same size as the Buddha's nostrils.

Kasuga Taisha, which celebrated its 1250th anniversary in 2018, has 61 subsidiary and secondary shrines.

Meoto Daikoku Shrine is the only place in Japan where a husband and wife are enshrined.

For this reason, many couples and young women constantly visit Nara as one of the largest matchmaking spots in Nara.

Many pink and white heart-shaped ema are dedicated to the votive tablet. The water fortune-telling that comes out when you soak it in water is also popular.

In addition, Fujinaminoya, an important cultural property, has about 3,000 hanging lanterns that have been dedicated since the Heian period to the present.

Mt. Wakakusa, which is located very close to Nara Park, is a spot you should visit if you are visiting Nara. A little over 300m high mountain covered with grass, you can climb it on foot, or you can drive to the summit using the Nara Okuyama Driveway.

The cityscape of Nara that can be seen from the top of the mountain is very beautiful, and it is also popular as a viewing spot. The scenery is particularly beautiful at sunset and when the city shines brightly, and has been selected as one of the New Three Great Night Views of Japan.