Nara: The Greatest Buddha, Sacred Deer, a Shinto Shrine then on to Osaka!

April 4th: The Chiba family wanted me to have a taste, not only of the different hotels in Japan, but something of the history as well. Thus they planned, not only the tour of the Imperial Villa at Katsura (which I did know something about), but also tours of past and present capitals, famous landmarks and ceremonies of Japan (of which I knew nothing).

On Sunday morning, we took our time checking out of our hotel (with me buying yet more souvenirs in the hotel gift shop and taking time to enjoy the hotel's delicious cappuccino, while I gazed at its exuberant waterfall). I met up with the rest of the group right at checkout time, whereupon our bags were loaded into a limousine bus destined for another hotel, the drop-off point for our next and final tour - of Nara (Japan's first permanent capital, established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara).

In Nara, we were to visit the Todaiji Temple, home of the world's largest Buddha statue, located in Nara Park, where approximately 1200 deer wander around getting fed by tourists, and the Shinto shrine. Also, there are pagodas.

Kofukuji Temple in Nara: In the Nara period, the pagoda was the most important structure in the Kofukuji temple complex, as it held the relics (such as a bone or tooth) of the Buddha. There are two pagodas in the Kofukuji complex. They are located on either side of the site of the Great Southern Gate; the Three Storied Pagoda to the west and the Five Storied Pagoda to the east. Our tour did not stop here, but saw it as we drove past on our way to the Todaiji Temple, Nara Park, and the Kasuga Taisha (Shinto) shrine.

Todaiji Temple: Todaiji (Great Eastern Temple) is one of Japan's most famous temples and a landmark of Nara. Located in Nara Park, in central Nara, Todaiji was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan. Todaiji derives its name from its location east of Nara, which was the capital of Japan when it was built. Today, the temple serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism.

The monastery-temple Todaiji was founded by Emperor Shomu (r.724-749) when Nara was the capital of Japan. It was the head temple of the network of provincial monasteries throughout Japan. Immense in scale (significantly larger than the temple that stands today), Todaiji represented the culmination of imperial Buddhist architecture. Todaiji is a temple of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, which reveres the Buddha Vairocana (Birushana in Japanese) as the cosmic, central Buddha. The principal image of the temple is a bronze statue of Vairocana, colossal in scale.

According to legend, nearly 2,600,000 people helped construct the Buddha — but as that would amount to nearly the half of the people in Japan at the time, the figure is probably exaggerated. Nevertheless, by the time the Buddha was completed in 751, it had consumed most of Japan's bronze production for several years and left the country almost bankrupt. The Great Buddha was finally dedicated in 752 with great pomp and ceremony. The emperor and his family were present for the occasion, as were hundreds of local monks and ambassadors from China, India and more distant places.

The statue was dedicated by "opening his eyes" — an Indian priest stood on a specially built platform and painted in the eyes using a gigantic brush. The guests brought a dazzling assortment of gifts, many of which have been preserved in the Shoso-in treasury, along with the original paintbrush. The Great Buddha statue has been damaged, especially due to earthquakes, and recast several times. The current statue dates from 1692.

Pictures: (1) Pindola statue at Todaiji (legend has it that if you pray and touch the body part on the statue that hurts on your own body, then touch your own hurting body part, it will heal); (2-4) Cherry blossoms at Todaiji Temple (notice the classic white cherry blossoms and the pinker, "weeping" cherry blossoms); (5) Lighting incense in front of the temple.

Also of interest in the Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) are the rear support pillars, which have holes through the bottom. Popular belief has it that if one is successful in squeezing through one of these "healing pillars," he or she is guaranteed a place in Heaven. If true, that means there are only skinny people in Heaven!

Nara Park: For a city park, Nara Koen (Park) is enormous. The park covers 525 hectares (1297 acres) of woodland and is the largest municipal park in Japan. It became a park in 1888 after 2 years of work, until that time the area had deteriorated until it was little more than a wasteland. Today the park is designated as one of Japan's top scenic spots.

Located just east of Nara's modern commercial center, the park also includes the grounds of not only the Todaiji Temple, but also the Kasuga Taisha (Shinto) Shrine. Large numbers of "semi-wild" deer roam the parklands. These are not tame deer, but they are fed so often by so many tourists that wild isn't an appropriate description. The deer are usually associated with a sacred white deer - one of the legends of the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. They are of course protected animals. The park has wonderful flora including sakura (cherry blossoms), andromeda, and many other flowers. Spring is one of the best times to visit as the park is at its most colorful, however it is crowded! Birdwatching is also popular here.

Kasuga Taisha: Kasuga Taisha is Nara's most celebrated shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city. Kasuga Taisha was also the tutelary shrine of the Fujiwara, Japan's most powerful family clan during most of the Nara and Heian Periods.

Kasuga Taisha is famous for its lanterns, which have been donated by worshipers. Hundreds of bronze lanterns can be found hanging from the buildings, while as many stone lanterns line the approaches to the shrine. The lanterns are lit twice a year on the occasion of the Lantern Festivals in early February and mid August.

The shrine grounds also contain a Treasure House near the main complex which displays the shrine's relics. These include two sets of large ornate drums. Additionally, the Kasuga Primeval Forest, a sacred old-growth forest belonging to the shrine, covers the mountain behind Kasuga, however, it is closed to the public.

More Pictures from Nara Park and the Kasua Taisha Shrine:

Pictures: A strange-looking symbol of Nara Park (nice horns); Nara Park's "sacred" deer, and what I believe is a lot of barrels of saki at the Shrine (I may be wrong about this, though).

April 4th - Osaka: After the tour was done, we grabbed our luggage (which had been stored at the train station) and took the train to Osaka, which was Fumi-san's birthplace. She still had relatives there, and Mari hoped to be able to play her guitar for her uncle during our short stay.

Mari suggested that, for dinner, I might like to try a rotating sushi restaurant. That is, the restaurant doesn't rotate, but the sushi does! On some kind of conveyor belt, the plates parade in front of you so that you can check out which delicacies you would like to try. The food is placed on various size and color plates, based upon the price. When you are done eating, the clerk comes around with a scanner of some kind, and totals up the damage.

Sounds great, in theory. But here is where my "yankee" roots steered me wrong! I was thinking, "Sushi = California rolls, cucumber rolls, etc." In short, all the Americanized versions of sushi that I've come to know and love. Not so when you are getting the "real deal." Instead, the choice was, octopus, squid innards, and some other unmentionables that for me didn't look appetizing at all! That is why, despite the fact that the entire Chiba family is slim and I am known to have a healthy appetite, there is so few plates in front of me as opposed to everyone else.

After dinner, Kentaro suggested I get a new, smaller suitcase to take to Hong Kong (where I was headed in the morning), instead of lugging my huge blue suitcase around. (It had fallen to him to do the lugging while I was in Japan, and he wasn't going to be there in Hong Kong.) We picked out a cool Samsonite backpack style, the first I've ever carried, for my adventures in the morning. Then we said good night.

April 5th: Early the next morning, we loaded our bags in a limousine bus headed for the airport. Mari was going to take the train back home (she didn't get to play for her uncle in the very short time we were in Osaka, unfortunately), and she stood outside the bus and waved to us until it drove away. Kentaro and his parents accompanied me to the airport, and helped me figure things out so the check-in went smoothly. Then they bid me good-bye until Thursday, April 8th.