Nara Park　


Nara Park and well door

The park is home to hundreds of freely roaming deer. Considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods,
Nearly 1200 deer in Nara has become a symbol of the city. Nara's deer is surprisingly domesticated,
although they can be aggressive if they think you will feed them. Deer crackers are for sale on the street
around the park, and some deer learned to bow to travelers to ask to be fed.


Nara Park and tame deer

Nara Park and tame deer

Deer crackers are for sale on the street. A signboard is written in Japanese and Chinese.

Today, visitors can purchase deer-crackers to feed the deer in the park.

A deer wanders in looking for food.


Nara Park is a public park located in the city of Nara at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, established in 1300s
and one of the oldest parks in Japan. Over 1,200 wild deer freely roaming around in the park are classified
as natural treasure. While the official size of the park is about 502 hectares, the area, including the grounds
of Todaiji, Kofukuji, and Kasuga-taisha Shrine, which are either on the edge or surrounded by Nara Park.

The park is home to the Nara National Museum and Todaiji, where the largest wooden building in the world houses
a 15-metre tall statue of Buddha. According to local folklore, deer from this area were considered sacred due
to a visit from Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, one of the four Gods of Kasuga Shrine.

The deer was considered divine and sacred by both Kasuga Shrine and Kofukuji. Killing one of these deer was
a capital offense punishable by death up until 1637, the last recorded date of a breach of that law.

　Nara Park

奈良国立博物館

(L) Original building of Nara National Museum (R) New Nara National Museam


The Nara National Museum is located in Nara, which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784, Katayama Tokuma (1854 - 1917)
designed the original building, which is a representative Western-style building during the Meiji period and has been designated
an Important Cultural Property in Japan.


千手観音像 12世紀　　　安東円恵像 1380年　 　　山水図（水色巒光図) 　　　　　　　　 　刺繍釈迦如来説法図　　　　　　　 　　　大仏頂曼荼羅図 12世紀

一字金輪曼荼羅　　　　　　　　　　如意輪観音像 14世紀　　　辟邪絵のうち天刑星

虚空蔵菩薩像 14世紀　 　　普賢菩薩像 12世紀　　　　地蔵菩薩像 13世紀　　十一面観音像　　　　　　五大明王像 13 -14世紀

地獄草紙のうち鉄磑所

地獄草紙のうち鶏地獄

Todaiji Temple complex that is viewed from Nara Park.


Kofukuji Temple 興福寺

Kofuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful seven Great Temples, in the city of Nara.
The temple is the national headquarters of the Hosso school. The Central Golden Hall, the main temple hall
was destroyed by fire roughly 300 years ago and was not rebuilt in its original size until recently.
After many years of reconstruction, the hall was reopened to the public in October 2018.
The temple is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

興福寺は、奈良市登大路町にある、南都六宗の一つ、法相宗の大本山の寺院である。南都七大寺の一つに数えられる。
藤原氏の氏寺であり、古代から中世にかけて強大な勢力を誇った。
南円堂は西国三十三所第9番札所である。興福寺は世界遺産に登録されている。


Kofukuji Temple in Nara
Five-storied pagoda in spring time in full blossom

(L) Kofukuji Temple and Higasgi-Kondo ( East Golden Hall) (R) A statue of Unkei at Kofukuji, Nara

(L) Kofukuji temple is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
(R) 興福寺落慶 October 2018 : Picture source、Asahi. Com

(L) Nanendo is the No.9 of Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage. (M) A lot of tachibana ar attached to the trees at Nanendo.
(R) Goshuin: akusejo

Sarusawa Pond


Railway station, hotels and eating places in Nara


Nara Hotel

(L) Shubi (R) The main entrance to Nara Hotel
Shubi means a decorative (kawara) tile in the shape of a fish tail to put on the left and right of the large roof.

(L) A general view with a flag pole (M) A cherry blossom tea (R) A tub bath with a TV terminal: These three pictures are taken in Noborioji Hotel Nara.

　Noboriouji Hotel Nara



(L) Kakinoha-zushi refers to sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf, and is one of the local Japanese dishes in Nara, Wakayama and Ishikawa.
(R) Kakinoha-zushi Bento

Sarusawa Pond

Railway Trip from Tokyo, via Kyoto and to Nara


(L) Tokyo Terminal (R) About three hour and 15 minutes, a speed-train is going to arrive at Kyoto station.

(L) A souvenir shop in the Kyoto station (R) A rapid train for Nara is going to depart.

The track line to Nara is separated from that of Tokaido main line, and runs to the south.

The track crossed the iron bridge, and soon after that, it transfers form the ground level to the elevated level of Nara station.

JR Nara station

(L) JR Nara station (R) Kintestu Nara station ( underground )

Private railway, Kintestu: The smoking room in the train adversely affects the health of the passengers.

Shrine and temples in Nara
Kasuga-taisha 春日大社　 Todaij, Nigatsudo 東大寺 Horyuji, Toshodaij 法隆寺　 Nara Park　奈良公園
Osaka
Osaka, Shitennouji, Dotonbori, Railways in Osaka 大阪　 Tennoji Zoo 天王寺動物園

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Kintetsu-express trains have a smoking booth in the vehicles.
Smoke-free hotels in Japan
Smoke-free hotels in Tokyo
Smoke-free hotels in Kyoto and Nara
Domestic travel in Japan
Stress-free travel in Tokyo Metropolitan and Kyoto area
Travel sketch in Japan and the world in respect to smoking regulations

H
Smoking Restriction at Hotels in the World: Actual Survey
The ratio of a smoking guest room to the total hotel rooms was calculated,
based on the on-the-spot investigation.


奈良公園
執筆　医学博士 宮本順伯
★This Web site is link-free.
This information was provided by the Smokefree Hotel and Travel.
The photographs are taken and the article was written in April 2018,
by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., Ph.D.
Information was added in November 2018.
Copyright (C) 2018 Junhaku Miyamoto, PhD. All right is reserved.