Kasuga Taisha

babibubebo — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:22:58 +0000

Kasuga Taisha, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a famous Shinto shrine in Nara. The Kasuga Grand Shrine is most famous for the the stone and bronze lanterns (well into the thousands) that can be found all around the shrine. It is at the far end (northeast I think) of Nara Park but is worth the walk, which is probably about 20-25 minutes from Todaiji. According to The Yamasa Institute:

Kasuga Taisha Shrine is one of the most important Shinto shrines in Nara and is one of the “Three Great Shrines” of Japan. It was officialy established in 768 by the Fujiwara clan, but is believed to date from the beginning of the Nara period (710). The shrine is located at the western foot of Mt. Mikasa and Mt. Kasuga, sacred mountians from which the Shinto kami (gods) first descended. The powerful Fujiwara clan (one of the most powerful aristocratic families of the period) and the Imperial court worshipped here, making it very prosperous. Kasuga Taisha Shrine was unified with Kofukuji Temple in the later half of the Heian period (794-1185) with the emergance of the new theological philosophy of Kami-Buddha Fusion. The Shrine’s affiliation with Kofukuji lasted until the Meiji restoration (1868-1912) when the government established Shinto as the state religion and ordered the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism.

If I had to pick a time of the year to go, I would try to go when they have festivals and light the lanterns. They do it only twice during the year, once at the beginning of February and the second time during the Obon season in the middle of August.

Of course going anywhere in Japan during the fall is not a bad idea. Also, apparently there is a really nice botanical garden with over 300 different kinds of flowers/plants. The garden is most famous for Wisteria which bloom from around the middle of April to the middle of May. Also Camellia flowers can be seen from early February to early April and Japanese Andromeda from late February to the middle of March.

Nara

babibubebo — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:33:15 +0000

Nara is in the Kansai Region of Japan and is about 30-40 minutes by train from Kyoto or Osaka. Nara, the old capital of Japan, is home to 8 of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 64 of the 200 and some odd buildings that are considered national treasures in Japan. Nara is also home to about 1200 or so deer that roam freely around Nara Koen (Nara Park). I have been to Kyoto more than 5 times but just recently went to Nara for the first time because I thought it would feel similar to Kyoto; however, it has a very different feel from it. Partly because there are deer running around everywhere and partly because it is less crowded (although the famous spots like Todaiji, do get very crowded at times), but there is something about Nara, that is somewhat hard to pinpoint, that makes it a magical place.

I highly recommend checking Nara out, especially in the fall. If you want, you could probably see most of Nara without staying overnight, but I recommend staying one night there just to make sure you can see everythign you want to see. Below are a few places that you will not want to miss:

- Todaiji–Huge temple that holds Japan’s largest Buddha (top photo)
- Nara Koen–Nara Park is where a lot of temples, shrines and 1200+ deer are
- Horyuji–Oldest wooden building and structures in the world
- Kokufuji
- Kasuga Taisha–Fabulous Shinto Shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Toshodaiji
- Yakushiji

For more information see the official site of Nara or the Japan Guide.

Japan Photo Guide » Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Taisha

Nara