Wednesday - day trip to Nara
The rain came in today, and Sasha came down with some tummy issues that knocked her out of commission. Jamie left to visit friends in Tokyo. The rest of us were lined up for a day trip to Nara.
Our Airbnb in Kyoto. Check out these rain chains!
Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara (奈良). Prior to that, the capital was moved to a new location whenever a new emperor ascended to the throne.
However, as the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved away from Nara to Nagaoka in 784 and a few years later to Kyoto.
Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its historical importance, the city remains full of cultural treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples.
Nara is under an hour from Kyoto by train, so this was an easy trip and still allowed for a full day to see the sights. Nara is famous for its deer, which blend in as equal cohabitants throughout the sprawling green areas and religious buildings, and for an absolutely enormous Buddha.
The Great Buddha is housed in Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha hall), which is still today the largest wooden structure in the world, even after downsizing after multiple fires over the centuries. This Buddha and his home are another UNESCO site. I wasn't sure that seeing these very large things would be so amazing in person, but we were all pretty floored to be present, as tiny little mammals, in front of such enormous human creations from so far back in history.
Behind the Great Buddha, we found large grounds with several truly beautiful temples and other religious structures.
We returned to Kyoto to grab Sasha and get a late night ramen dinner (finally!)
