Nara

Nara was the capital of Japan during the Nara period from 710 to 794 as the seat of the Emperor before the capital was moved to Kyoto. Here we feed the deer. There are around 1,400 deer living around Nara Park, and they are closely connected with the gods. There is a legend that in AD768, the first of the four gods of Kasugataisha Shrine traveled all the way from Ibaraki Prefecture North of Tokyo, to Mt. Mikasa in Nara, on a white deer. Thereafter, deer were considered sacred, and killing one was punishable by death. Today, they are protected as Natural Monuments, and revered as holy animals in Nara. The deer are wild, but they enjoy eating the special crackers called “shika senbei”, that are sold around Nara Park, and will approach humans. They would bow to receive their cookie. And the pretty bento box lunch we had!