Nara is the first official capital of Japan, although back in 710 AD when it was established it was known as Heijo. Only 74 years later the capital was moved to another city because the monasteries in Nara had accumulated too much power. However, even after this move, Nara remained one of the most powerful Buddhist centres in Japan and perhaps in the whole of East Asia, especially because of the presence of the massive Todaiji temple. That was definitely in our sights for that day. The area of the ancient capital nowadays is preserved in the form of a park, where one can find all the old shrines and temples in one place.
The train ride from Kyoto is a relatively short one, although it can range from 45 to 80 minutes, depending if it’s a rapid or a slow local train that you take from Kyoto. We were lucky and our ride was only about 50 minutes long. Having arrived relatively early in Nara, we left the train station and headed straight towards the park on the east side of the city centre. The walk is substantial but not too long (about 20-25 minutes) and the buzzing in the shops and their windows makes it an interesting route.
On the edge of the park, the Sarusawa-ike pond acts as a kind of natural border between the park and the modern city. This was our first stop:
From here, we turned left and climbed up the steps to the Kofukuji Temple:
In this large complex and among the various buildings (including an impressive five-storied pagoda) one will notice one of the attractions of Nara Park – and it’s not a building:
The sacred deer in Nara Park are omnipresent, wherever you turn your head you are bound to see one. As they are tame they will come very close to you and they will even let you stroke them, but only if you bribe them with crackers!
We then moved back on the main road and followed the path to the Kasuga Grand Shrine, our first main stop for this tour. The shrine is situated deep in the forest of the park and it’s completely isolated from the rest of the temples you find in the park. I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that it is the only Shinto temple you can find here (all the others are Buddhist). Either way, this place is most definitely worth the effort and the walk (almost an hour’s walk from the train station where we started). On the way, the wide pebbled path has stone lanterns on both sides,
the trees provide a welcome shade and there are at least a couple of water fountains on the way where you can stop for a quick refreshment.
At the end of the main path sits the Kasuga Shrine, in all its red glory. Going through the south Nanmon Gate one can tell there is something special behind these wooden walls:
After a brief tour and a little breather on the steps outside the shrine, we went back on the trail and headed towards the north side of the park, walking through the dense forest. On the way to the Todaiji Temple, there is a little shrine complex, where among others one will find the Tamukeyama Hachimangu Shrine ‘hiding’ in the trees,
and the also impressive Nigatsu-do Temple, resting on the top of a small hill:
The heat had started taking its toll again so we had a little break at the foot of the hill and then consulted our map and turned around the corner heading towards the Todaiji Temple. The Great Buddha Hall which is located in the centre of the complex is the largest wooden structure in the world:
It houses a huge Buddha statue (15m tall, 500 tonnes)
and also two wooden statues of ‘guardians’ on each side of the Buddha:
This is easily one of the most impressive buildings I’ve seen in my life. The sheer size of it and the fact that it is all wooden (not to mention that it has been rebuilt twice because fire has burnt it down) makes it a mighty impressive sight.
Before leaving the temple, I bought a few traditional omamori (lucky charms) to give out to friends and family. I suspect they don’t do very much (although you’ll find something for every occasion, ranging from academic excellence to impotence!) but they do look pretty.
For some more photos from Nara, click here.
It was now around 14:30 and it was time to start our way to the train station, as we had to make a move if we were to make it to Iga-Ueno on time. The train journey from here was a little complicated, as we had to change train twice (at Kizu and Kamo) before eventually reaching Iga-Ueno, however I think this element made the journey even more interesting.
As we moved from the main JR Kyoto line to the local Kansai line, one thing I noticed is that it is impossible to lose your way. All signs and maps in train stations (even the tiny two-platform station at Kamo) are both in Japanese and English, so along with a good map or guide book you know that you’ll be able to find your way around.
As for this journey, well, let’s say we weren’t as lucky this time around. Having boarded the train from Kamo, we realised that the time was just after 16:00 now and we knew it was going to be tight. We chatted with the only non-local person on the train (an American exchange student who was living in the area and studying in Kyoto) and he told us that the ninja museum was definitely a great place to visit but that it normally closes at around 17:30, so chances were that we wouldn’t make it in time. And indeed, we arrived at Iga-Ueno just after 17:00, a good two hours after having left from Nara. We knew it was too late to make it to the museum, so we decided to head back to Kyoto and make the trip tomorrow, with a bit more time in our hands, knowing now how long it would take to get here from Kyoto.
We caught the next train back to Kamo and slowly found our way back on the train to Kyoto. It was unfortunately one of the slow ones, but we didn’t really mind – we were so tired that we appreciated the opportunity to rest. And there was another opportunity as well: to experience two more characteristic incidents that show how unique Japanese culture is.
First of all, we experienced our first meishi, in other words the exchange of business cards. Opposite us in the train car, there was a middle-aged gentleman, well dressed in a suit, who, as soon he got into the train, started examining us. At first we thought that was a little strange, because we’d expect a lot of foreign tourists to be boarding the train connecting Nara and Kyoto. But then we realised why he was looking at us: he wanted to talk to us. So, with English we only just barely understood at first (later on we got used to the accent, I guess), he said hello and started explaining to us that he was studying Business English at the University of Osaka and that he was very keen to practice. (Well, we got that! haha) Right after saying hello, he pulled a business card holder out of his jacket pocket and he presented a card to each of us (and of course, with both hands holding the card). I was prepared for this occasion, and I did the same in return. He was quite impressed with that, but he studied my card with a lot of care and then he started asking questions about my job and where I work with genuine interest.
The business etiquette in Japan, especially the exchange of business cards, is one cultural element you want to get right when you do business there. However, this showed me that this could be true in everyday life as well. I certainly appreciated the (rather unfamiliar!) experience of having to examine one’s card carefully and try to come up with reasonable questions just by looking at it – it gets the conversation going. Also, it is a sign of respect to the person you are talking to to treat the card with the same respect you want to treat him, so you don’t mess about with folding the card or put it in your back pocket – that is a major faux pas!
The second incident was even more remarkable – I guess for people like us who have been living in a country with a strong train culture, albeit being accustomed to constant delays. At some point the train pulled in at a station and, after letting the new passengers in, the doors didn’t close and we didn’t move, for something like two minutes. A two-minute delay on a train in Japan is apparently very serious business: the train guard made an announcement and suddenly we saw some people jumping off their seats and rushing to the ticket desk at the station, and then returning to their seats holding a little piece of paper. We were baffled. Thankfully, another westerner who was sitting close by noticed our bewilderment and was happy to explain: an electrical storm over Kyoto meant that inbound trains to Kyoto had to be stopped until the storm cleared out, so the advice given to passengers was that they could ask for a notice saying that the delay was the responsibility of the train company. That way if a passenger was delayed from any kind of business they had, they would have a formal excuse. Now, I remind you this happened at around 20:00 in the evening. Apparently this is standard practice in Japan…
A couple more minutes later the train resumed its journey and we arrived in Kyoto, tired but with a chest full of fascinating memories. It was now time to get some rest and prepare for the excursions planned for the next day: one would certainly be Iga-Ueno (a successful visit this time!) and the second one, Himeji Castle.
