Nara, Japan: Todadaiji & Horyuji Temples
Japan in the Spring is beyond beautiful. When Matt and I traveled there in 2016, we did not plan to explore the country during sakura season. It was one of the most happy travel coincidences and I could not have been more grateful for the experience. We started our journey in Tokyo and then met up with Matt's sister in Kobe. Using Kobe as a home base, Matt's sister and her husband took us on various day trips to experience the all the splendor of Japanese cities in bloom. One of the best places to experience nature, both floral and fauna, is Nara. Home of the first capital city in Japan and to some of the oldest temples, Nara is a beautiful city, rich in history. The Buddhist temples are just as splendid today as they were back in the 700s. Nara Park is attractively landscaped, especially during sakura season, and the "friendly" deer have become a world-renowned tourist attraction.
Todadaiji Temple
Todadaiji Temple was once one of the most influential and famous temples in all of Japan. At one time, the power became so grand that the capital city was moved away from Nara to stop the influence it had on government affairs. The temple houses one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha in all of Japan. The Big Buddha sits in Daibutsuden, aka, Big Buddha Hall and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas (those on the path to Buddhahood). It's impossible to visit and not feel the spirituality and calmness of the shrine.
While the temples are spectacular, one of the biggest draws to the area are the deer of Nara Park. Walking up to the temples from the train station, you'll be greeted by deer, begging for a tasty treat. The deer are wild, so always proceed with with caution, but you can purchase deer food and if you bow to the deer, they will bow back before excepting your crackers. It's a very surreal experience, even for someone like me who isn't exactly the biggest fan of wild animals.
Horyuji Temple
Many changes, such as expanded highways and the expansion of Buddhism in Japan, were completed in thanks to Prince Shotoku. Another notable contribution of the Crown Prince, was Horyuji Temple. Known to contain some of the oldest surviving wooden structures, it became a world heritage site in 1993. The Western Precinct of the temple contains 3 of these old wooden structures, built between the 500-700s. The historical sites include the central gate, the main hall, and the five-story pagoda. In addition to the Western Precinct, the temple grounds include the Eastern Precinct, the Gallery of Temple Treasures, and Chuguji Temple.
It's hard to believe that was our last post of our 2016 trip to Japan. We spent two weeks in the country and it was a dream to explore with Matt's sister, Emily, and her husband David. They lived in Japan for a couple years before moving back to the USA to start their family. We will always be grateful that they allowed us share this experience with them. See more of our trip to Japan in the following Japan posts on Tokyo, Himeji, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto or other trips to Asia including Taiwan & Hong Kong.
Comments
Post a Comment