1000 Places to See Before You Die 5 - Nara Koen, Nara, Japan

During my big East Asia trip in 2009 I went to Japan and while there I visited Nara. My friend and I stayed in Kyoto and took a day trip to Nara to see the temples and the deer that roam around the area.

The temple called Todai-ji is said to be the biggest wooden structure in the world. Inside the temple there is a giant Buddha statue made of bronze. This Buddha is the greatest sight in Nara and has attracted pilgrims and travellers for centuries. It was originally created in 743 AD, when Nara was the capital of the recently united Japan. In the temple there is also a wooden pillar with a hole in it. It is said that if you can crawl through the hole without getting stuck (!) you will have good luck. Nara is smaller than Kyoto and the old buildings and temples are better preserved than the ones of Kyoto.


Todai-ji Tenple
The Buddha

The wooden pillar 


Around the park area of Nara Koen there are more than 1000 deer who roam freely around. You can pet them, but beware if you have anything edible (or inedible for that matter) around you. They will nibble! You can buy biscuits to feed them, which I think is considered "good luck" or something like that.



There are also other temples around the area that are worth a look and in general Nara makes a nice day trip from Kyoto, since it seems a little more relaxed and less bustling than Kyoto, even though there are still many people enjoying the sights.

Kohfukuji Temple

Kasuga Shrine

Kasuga Shrine


All facts are from the book “1000 Places to See Before You Die” by Patricia Schultz

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