21 November 2016
After visiting the Todai-ji Temple and the Nigatsudo Hall located in the northern part of Nara Park in the morning, we continued southwards towards the Kasuga Taisha. Kasuga Taisha is located at the South Eastern part of Nara Park.
Nara Park was just gorgeous in autumn.
We continued down a road with many stores and restaurants on the right side and Wakakusayama Hill on the left. Deer wandered around the road and hillside, mingling with tourists.
Looking back at the road with the hill on the right and the stores on the left side of the photo.
A line of deer enjoying a feast of lettuce left on the edge of the hill by a store owner.
Just before arriving at the Kasuga Taisha, we came upon a stream and plenty of trees with nice autumn foliage. A small teahouse was located here and this was a perfect place for a nice Japanese dessert.
Nice Japanese dessert outdoor on the low table, located outdoor and under the beautiful autumn foliage.
Some of the local artists at work near the tea house.
Crossing the river, we soon arrived at Kasuga Taisha. Kasuga Taisha is Nara's most celebrated Shinto shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city.
The first thing that caught my attention was the lanterns.
Row of bronze lanterns hanging from a building.
Kasuga Taisha is famous for its lanterns, which have been donated by worshipers. Besides having hundreds of bronze lanterns hanging from the buildings, there were also many stone lanterns. The colourful autumn leaves contrasted nicely with the cold grey stone lanterns.
Yellow leaves of the ginkgo tree in autumn.
Yellow gingko leaves and red maple leaves in autumn.
We left Kasuga Taisha, heading eastwards, along a path lined with stone lanterns. This path will lead us back towards the direction of the JR Nara Station.
Kids in nice traditional costumes.
Contrast of old vs new. These machines seemed so out of place.
We passed by an open area where there was many deer to be found.
If you want to be surrounded by a herd of deer, just show up with a bag of deer crackers.
Another nice place in Nara Park to visit during autumn would be the Sagi-Ike and Ara-Ike Ponds, located on the south-west part of the park. A few wedding couples were having their photo shoot, with the pond and autumn leaves as backdrop.
The couple looked so nice in this picture.
This couple was throwing the red ball to each other while their photographer was trying to get a photo of the ball in mid-air. I only had chance for one shot. I managed to get a nice shot with the ball at the center!
Our last stop for the day was the Kofuku-ji Temple with the five storied pagoda, located along Sanjo-dori. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Compared to the other places, this was not as interesting.
If we had time and energy, we could have headed south and explore Naramachi, and the shops and galleries of the area. Instead, we did some shopping along Sanjo-dori and headed to Maguro Koya restaurant where we had made a reservation for dinner.
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