Japan - Nara

Nara, Japan Day 92 (May 2)

Kyoto to Nara

1 hr train ride

In the morning, we take the train to nearby Nara city, which is number 3 tourist attraction in Japan (below Kyoto and Tokyo). We walk around to visit the well known Isui-En garden.

Deer everywhere on the park grounds

Deer sniffs Kevin's butt, thinks it was noodles for breakfast

everyone kid wants to play with the deer, me included

Japanese tea house in the garden

After the garden, we visited Todai-ji temple (Eastern Great Temple). This temple is the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest statue of Buddha Vairocana, also listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism.

Today is a holiday and the temple is packed with festive atmosphere. The kids dressed in traditional costumes are really cute.

Great Buddha Hall

Big Buddha

Buddha gate keeper

Kids climb through this hole, said to be the same size as the big Buddha's nostril.

Famous bronzes of guardians in the temple gate

festival bling

street vendor in the hall way

sweet juice makes a happy kid

Vana with a new friend

awaits ceremony to start

here they come

welcome dance

ceremony starts

ceremony

end of ceremony

Glad that you don't have to wear these shoes to work everyday?!

after ceremony chit chat

let's keep walking

Saved by the bell

5 story pagoda

We head back to Kyoto by train, pick up our luggage at the hotel, and then bullet train back to Tokyo station. From Tokyo station, we subway back to Dongli’s house, and meet them again for some late night noodles. It’s pretty amazing to zoom around the middle of the country in a single day. From the experience, we perfect our train napping skills.

Nara > Kyoto > Tokyo

Train napping skills perfected

CLICK HERE to see more pictures from Isui-En garden
CLICK HERE to see more pictures from Todai-Ji temple