The Buddha of Todaiji Temple in Nara is one the most famous bronze
statues of Buddha in Japan. It is a monumental piece that no photo can
truly capture- a must see for anyone living in Japan.
Today I was
supposed to go on a six hour hike with Hiking in Kansai, but because of
my traffic accident yesterday, Nicky and I decided we would forgo it.
Instead, Nicky’s student Taisuke offered to drive us to Nara and take us
to all of the famous sites. It was a really fun day, and only possible
because Taisuke is such a nice person.
Our first stop in Nara was Nara
Palace. Also known as Heijou Palace, Nara Palace was built during
Empress Gemmei’s reign around 710AD. Empress Gemmei was the fourth of
only eight women to hold the title of Empress Regnant in Japan, and the
only one of those eight that did not hold the throne purely as a
placeholder for male heirs that were too young at the time. In fact,
though she only reigned for eight years, Empress Gemmei abdicated in
favor of her eldest daughter, rather than a son or nephew.
The most notable event that happened during Gemmei’s reign was the publication of the Kojiki, the first imperial sanctioned, extant chronicle of Japan’s creation myths. If you are not familiar with Kojiki,
I suggest reading it. One of the most famous stories within the tale is
that of how the islands of Japan were formed, as well as the story of
Amaterasu, Japan’s sun goddess.
The site of Heijou Palace was quite
large, large even by American standards, and Nicky and I were quite
shocked by how much space there was on the grounds with absolutely
nothing in between the main gate and the palace itself. It seems that in
the past, the large courtyards of gravel that are there now were where
the Emperor would receive his courtiers.
Inside the palace was beautiful; very
simply structured with lots of red. I giggled a bit to find a painting
of a Shiba on the roof. That means that Shiba Inu dogs have been around
in Japan since at least the 700s. The throne was also quite pretty.
After Nara Palace, Taisuke suggested
we take lunch, so we found a small restaurant near Nara’s famous Deer
Park to eat. The lunch was quite good and inexpensive, and it was also
the first time that I was given a mortar stone to grind up my own sesame
seeds for a meal. It was really tasty!
Nara’s Deer Park is one the of the
most famous parts of Nara, especially for tourists. Basically, these
deer are a national treasure, and will eat out of your hand. It is
commonly believed that when they bow their head before and after
receiving a cracker, they are actually “bowing” to give their thanks for
the meal. Despite several warnings from friends and also numerous signs
around the park though, we were never attacked by the deer. Nicky was
slightly nibbled though. It might have been do to the fact that mating
season has already passed for the deer, and they no longer have the same
territorial urges that they would have carried in the spring and fall.
Near to the deer park is Nara’s
Toudaiji Temple, the temple that houses the famous Daibutsu Iron Buddha
weighing in at 550 tons. I was truly stunned at the magnitude of this
buddha. It was so very large, and not a single picture I took could
truly capture its splendor. As well, though they are not often
mentioned, the Daibutsu Buddha is flanked on either side by two golden
buddhas of equal splendor. I could have spent several hours simply
standing in there looking at the buddhas.
Since
Nicky had to be back in Kyoto for a lesson in the evening, we had to
start heading home. While Nicky napped in the back seat, Taisuke and I
talked and enjoyed the scenery of Kansai. It really is a beautiful
place. Sometimes I feel like I never want to leave.