Japan 2014 Day #16: Day Trip to Nara

Monday, 29 September

By day 16 Will had just about hit the wall and didn't want to do anything at all. I think he felt full to the brim with temples, castles, and us.  We had been sleeping three to a room since Tokyo and he just wanted some time alone.  I left him some money, made sure he had a key and Robyn and I took off for the day.

Today was aimed at more spiritual sites so we set off on the local suburban train for Nara station and Todaiji Temple.  This is set in a large park with over a 1000 tame deer roaming about.

Path leading to Todaiji

The impressive thing about this temple - apart from the fact that it is one of the world's largest wooden structures - is the massive buddha contained within, about 15 metres high.

Todaiji

Giant buddha

This was hugely impressive though we were both in agreement that Will probably wouldn't have enjoyed it much.

After a couple of hours there we wandered back to the station and headed back towards Kyoto for our second stop of the day at the Inari shrine.  This is also sometimes known as the temple of 1000 gates and when the sun shines through them they truly are a wonderful sight. Getting a photo just right, with no people and the sun slanting through was nigh on impossible.  Then again, it's hard to miss in a place like this.

Gates of Inari

It is possible to walk through all 1000 or so of these gates but we were about done by the time we got to halfway so turned around and made up our numbers by retreating the way we had come.

Back in Kyoto centre, and after a short rest we all headed off for a quick meal and then a walking tour of old Kyoto.

Old Kyoto