Early Morning at Nara Park, Nara, Japan

It is still a bit dark and quite chilly at 630AM as I gently close the door of Hiloki Hostel and take the two-minute walk to the bus terminal at Nara Station where I will board a bus to Nara Park. I'm going to go see Kasuga Taisha this early to avoid the busloads of tourists that are sure to come at (I am guessing) around 9AM, after they have had a hearty breakfast and a cup of coffee.

I arrive at the bus stop for Kasuga Taisha just as the sun is rising and I see a few people in the field taking photos of deer. Some are luring the deer with rice crackers, making the deer gather around and giving the feeder/photographer time to shoot some photos up close. I follow one feeder/photographer a bit and sneakily take some photos myself.

The deer are considered sacred because according to legend, a god is said to have come to Nara riding on a white deer. But I did not come to Nara Park this early for the deer (any time of the day and anywhere in the park, one will surely see deer, because I read somewhere that there are about 1200 deer that roam the park) but for Kasuga Taisha, a 1300+ year old Shinto Shrine that's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The path to Kasuga Taisha is lined with stone lanterns and shaded by trees on both sides, and crossed by deer wherever. All these slow me down, but I am not in a hurry anyway. I love the peace and quiet; the cool, fresh morning air; the abundance of trees. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).