The plan was to diversify the kinds of attraction to visit for each prefecture. The obvious choice for Nara would have been temples since it did serve as the capital of the country during the Nara period between 710 and 794 AD and, thus, has its own fair share of worship places. But who are we kidding here? Nara is more popular nowadays for its deer population. Doe, a deer, a female deer. The male ones with big antlers. They are all here. Everywhere you go, actually. But first, how do we get here in the first place? Nara is part of the region of Kansai, often dwarfed by the grandeur of its more popular neighbors Osaka and Kyoto.
As such, your best option if coming from abroad is to land in an international airport. The nearest one is Kansai International, obviously. Most people just book accommodations in Osaka since Nara is really just a short 35 minute train ride away. Coming from Shinsaibashi, it was an easy walk to Kintetsu Nara station. I had the option between Nippombashi and Namba. The fare is the same, and the two are well connected both underground and on ground level anyway. The fare from either Kintetsu station to Kintetsu Nara vice-versa is JPY680 (~PHP270). The machines don't accept credit cards, so I paid the fare with coins.
Once you get out of Kintetsu Nara station, all you have to do is take a few steps toward the direction where everybody is going. I saw my first deer right there, taking her biscuit from one tourist. While there is a huge area called Nara Deer Park, these animals are actually everywhere in that immediate vicinity. Walking. Asking for biscuits. Shitting. It’s not a zoo where you cannot touch them or see them up close. On the contrary, you can get as close as you want. There are sign boards explaining what is allowed and not allowed, and there are existing laws backing some of the prohibitions that can land you in jail should you break them.
That area where I saw my first deer, which led me to more deer just lounging there on the grass with people surrounding them, was the entrance to Kofuku-ji which once belonged to the Seven Great Temples of the city. It now forms part of the buildings included in Nara’s entry to UNESCO’s world heritage sites, aptly named “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.” I am not that keen on collecting UNESCO world heritage sites, and since I already had my fix of everything buddhism and temples in Wakayama, I decided to just skip this attraction. After all, I came here for the deer. But why are there so many deer here anyway?
Maybe they just love Nara? All I know is they were, and to some extent still are, considered as sacred. According to some old legend, the main deity of the prefecture rode a deer to arrive here. As for their great number, it is said that most of those that you see hanging around the city are “park deer” who actually reside there and have become used to cohabiting with humans. Most of them will approach you without reluctance and bow so that you’d give them deer crackers also called Shika Senbei. The other kind of deer live on the mountains and are probably wilder.
If you visit in the summer, you can take refuge from the heat at Nara National Museum which is wedged between Kofuku-ji and the deer park. They have a separate Buddhist Relic hall where photography is only allowed for some exhibits. Again, I already had my share of everything Buddhism in Wakayama so I really just went in because of the open-air sauna weather outside. The admission fee is JPY700 (~PHP275) and there are activities inside, mostly for children. If you are not interested in Buddhism, this might be a boring proposition for you. But hey, at least you can cool down there.
After that refreshing break, I headed toward the deer park itself. This is a huge area that connects to a larger forest. There aren’t just more deer here but also more space for everybody, and green to boot. The Todai-ji Museum and Grand South Gate are located on the left side with a narrow strip of road flanked by shops on both sides leading you there. I deccided to avoid it because I was preoccupied with the deer, mostly taking photos and videos of them and just petting them. Their giant black noses made me feel like I was just hanging out with big dogs. Observing them at the creek where they converge was just a sight to behold.
And then I went home early. I could have explored the temples and the buddhas and the gardens but I was just exhausted and it was hot outdoors. A complete tour including most of the attractions and fun time with the deer is doable on a day trip from Osaka, even though I would recommend doing it in cooler months of the year. Most people come here for the deer, I know I did, but it wasn’t an overrated experience at all. It felt like a better zoo experience, freer for you to interact with the deer, and freer for them to live in a natural habitat right smack at the center of a modern city without danger of extinction. I enjoyed it a lot.
[NARA] A Deer for Everyone and Everyone for a Deer
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