Visit to Nara

Thanks to my friend Junko, I was able to take my first trip to Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, shortly before the end of 2009. In Nara there exists the 大仏 (daibutsu, or great Buddha). It is made out of bronze, and is about fifteen meters tall. There are other smaller statues in the Todaiji Temple, in which the daibutsu is located, which are gold-plated. After walking around the temple, Junko and I came upon a column surrounded by a crowd of people. I asked what all the commotion was about, and as I did, I saw a hole in the bottom of the column. Junko explained that the hole is the same diameter as the daibutsu's nostrils, so if someone can fit through the hole in the bottom of the column, they can also fit through the daibutsu's nostril holes. Of course I had to try this, and I successfully wriggled through the hole.

Junko and I also walked alongside Nara Park, a huge expanse of grass and trees in the middle of the city, and we chatted as we walked. I hadn't seen Junko since the summer, so we had a lot to catch up on. There were many deer in Nara, both in the park and near the temple area, and Nara is apparently famous for these deer. The deer are so used to having people come up to them and feed them that they are not at all afraid of people, and we were even able to pet the deer.

I have heard that Nara is also a great place to view the cherry blossoms in April, so I will have to return there someday.