THE NARA DEER
NATIONAL TREASURES BUT PESKY
There are some 1,500 deer in Nara Park but it seems like many more as they are everywhere.Nara Park is over 500 HA and you will find deer roaming through the park unchecked.They are Silka Deer and for many years were regarded as sacred as the person Takemi Kajuchi no Mikoto enshrined in Kasuga Taisha Shrine apparently rode there on a sacred deer and the animals were regarded as 'helpers of the Gods'. Not only do they smell, but they can be a problem seeking the 'deer crackers', a rice and wheet cracker sold by vendors to feed the deer.Over 150 people are injured by deer annually.The one place they seemed to be excluded was the Todai-Ji, the largest wooden temple housing the very large Buddha (15 metres). Nara is very interesting and historically significant place and worthy of a visit, if you put up with the deer.
Getting to Nara is easy. Depart form th Osaka Namba train station and it usually takes about 30 minutes.Map provided with thanks by Visit Nara Tourism
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