Tuesday 16 December 2014

Nara, Japan




Well,  I got home two weeks ago.  I'm still digesting the trip, to be honest, but I hope you'll like to see some posts of my travels.  

We were three weeks in Japan, based in Tokyo, but my first post will be about Nara.  Nara's in Kansai province, not far from Kyoto, and it was a special place for me, as before I set foot in Japan, it was the city I definitely knew I wanted to see.  (And I'd already fallen in love with Isuien Garden - below)



The reason I was so keen to see Nara is that for years I've been following the beautiful blogs of a group of women who live there. They are StardustSnow White, Cosmos, and Red Rose. (click the links to visit their blogs) and their names in real life are Yoko, Keiko, Tomoko and another Keiko. I felt very honoured when they offered to meet us and show us some of the town they love.

And  Isuien Garden was our first stop.  In the distance is what they call the "borrowed" part of the garden - the wooded hills which don't belong to it, but which add to its charm and atmosphere.

Japanese gardens are intended to suggest an idealised version of nature, so it was no surprise to find a gardener sweeping up and discovering that he was only sweeping up the leaves that did not look nice, leaving the ones that looked beautiful on the ground.. 

.
. I believe the characters carved on this stone refer to water.


and the sound of water was never far away.


These stepping stones were by an old water mill.   


Moss plays an important part in Japanese gardens, and this one is no exception.  Even if the grass is brown the moss is usually green under the trees and seems full of life. 


We were lucky to visit as the leaves had began to change colour


I could have stayed in the gardens all day, but then it was lunch time and we went to a simple and elegant restaurant that also offered quick self-service - the kind of place we would never have found by ourselves.  We loved the food - Yoko had taken note of what we liked to eat (This is T's lunch)


Afterwards we went to see the deer who roam around the huge Nara Park. They're wild but are very used to people, and, since you can buy rice cakes to feed them, groups of deer are likely to mob you if you seem to have one.  You can see this girl holding one as the deer pursues her - one of them licking her chops in anticipation! 


This deer below didn't seem to mind only being offered a mere leaf. 


At one point this man turned up quietly on his bike near Kasuga-Taisha shrine, sat down and fed the deer slowly, quite happy for them to nose all around him. In fact, he ws the picture of peace, sitting quite still, surrounded by these inquisitive creatures. 

 
After playing with the deer, we headed for the Todai-ji temple, one of the world's largest wooden structures, and a World Heritage site.   You can see the towering Nandaimon entrance gate through the trees. 


The temple dates to the 8th century, when over two and a half million people helped to construct it on the orders of the Emperor. The 8th century was Nara's heyday, when it was once briefly the capital of Japan.    The temple has been rebuilt twice, and is now 30 percent smaller than it was, but the tiny figures you can just see see on its steps below give you an idea of how large it still is.  On special occasions, the huge window in the centre is opened and the face of the giant golden Buddha inside can be seen. This gives you an idea of the size of the Great Buddha, too. It measures about 15 metres (fifty feet) high.


Sadly I couldn't get a good picture of the Great Buddha - the temple was too dark and too tall. Here is one of the bodhisattvas sitting at the Buddha's feet.  Just imagine a Buddha far bigger than that, towering above!


The statue below shows a warrior guardian, tiny by comparison with the Buddha, trampling on a demon


One of the temple's pillars has a hole in it said to be the size of the hole  in the Great Buddha's nostril, and if you pass through it you will receive enlightenment - and certainly have your photo taken by your friends.... 


Outside I was a little startled by this image of Binzuru, sitting exposed to the elements and dressed in what looks like a red rain cape, although I'm sure it is not really.  Despite his spooky appearance in this statue, he's a benign buddha  who offers relief from illness and had great psychic powers. He apparently got a bit above himself in the past, though, so Buddha ordered him to sit outside the temple at the mercy of the weather.  You're supposed to touch the part of his body which corresponds to your own ailment, when asking him for help. 


We spent a long time in the temple, but as sunset approached, we climbed towards  Nigatsu-dō, "The Hall of the Second Month." The deer were starting to settle down for the night by the side of the road, under the trees and near the row of stone lanterns.


I found that the large 17th century Nigatsu-dō,sits way above the rest of the temple complex on the mountainside, and it's a popular place to view the sunset. You climb up via a long flight of steps to get there, lined with memorials - you can just glimpse the long staircase on the left of the photo below.  It's a bit blurred, I know. But it was getting quite dark!


past the fountain with a dragon twined around its base


and the incense burns in a large, bronze bowl, sending its scent over the spacious wooden balcony, open to the air.



The sunset could have been more colourful, but it is the calm atmosphere and pin-drop silence of this big old place that sticks in my mind


Afterwards we walked back towards the town through almost-silent streets



And once back in town,  Yoko and Keiko recommended an okinomiyaki restaurant in a local mall. This meal is specially popular in the Kansai region of Japan, and consists of a mixture of omelette and pancake, which is cooked at your table with the toppings of your choice - and it really is very good.


As if this wasn't enough, they gave me some beautiful presents.   I really don't know how to thank them, but I know when I look at the presents and my photos, I won't forget Nara.  


I'll get round to visiting everyone's blogs soon!

49 comments:

  1. I have always enjoyed visiting Nara. And have many photos of the deer chasing my children looking for more cookies.
    Do you bow to a deer ? If you bow they will bow back.
    I also have a great photo of the deer waiting at the red light with a bunch of people to cross the stree.
    So happy you had a great time.

    cheers, parsnip

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  2. How beautiful. When I was a very young child, we lived in Okinawa. Because there wasn't enough base housing at the time, we lived in a Japanese neighborhood, and I went to school with the local kids. There are no more beautiful gardens than those in Japan! Your photos brought back many pleasant memories, and I thank you!

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  3. What a beautiful day with friends, i don't blame you for starting there with your story! Since i won't be getting to Japan any time soon that i know, i am going to fully enjoy every post you write about it.

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  4. Thanks for letting us share your experience at this remarkable site. I love the Japanese fixation on nature.

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  5. Beautiful! I cannot imagine the experience! I look forward to seeing more lovely pictures!

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  6. This is just wonderful. What a perfect day! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Lovely photos of Nara!

    I hope to one day revisit Nara again too.

    Thanks for sharing all the lovely photos. :)

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  8. This was a wonderful read along with my morning coffee, Jenny! I felt relaxed by just looking at the beautiful pictures of the garden and the temple(s). The temple truly deserves to be a World Heritage site! How unusual of the deer to settle along the road for the night instead of under the trees and in the thicket (there probably isn't any thicket there, is there?). They look just as ornamental and orderly like the rest of the landscape around them!
    The food sounds delicious, too.

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  9. Hi Jenny - welcome back. What amazing places and photographs. The garden looks so serene and the temple absolutely fascinating. A very different world. Thoroughly enjoyed the post and look forward to seeing more in due course.

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  10. How wonderful! I'm so glad to see something of your great adventure and to know that you're home in time to get the sprouts on.

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  11. What a wonderful post Jenny - I have long admired Yoko's images of Isuien Gardens and Nara Park. I have often wondered how she managed to capture so many deer in the photos having assumed that they were wild, now I realise they are more like pets.

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    1. They seem halfway between pets and wild creatures. I know that the stags have their antlers clipped, but other than this I didn't see anyone doing anything that could be considered looking after them. Ideal life for deer, if you ask me!

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  12. I visited Nara some years ago but without a local guide. Thank you for explaining the background to many of my memories of the park.

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  13. Jenny San
    How fortunate you were to see Japan, through the eyes of your blogging friends: Snow White, Cosmos, Red Rose and Stardust.
    The gardens and gardener touched my heart. May all who visit and request healing through the intercession Yokushi Nyorai have their prayers answered.
    Thanks for sharing your journey and now I shall visit your host bloggers.

    Helen xx

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    1. Thank you Helen! I hope you enjoy their blogs as much as I have.

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  14. Loved this, Jenny. Now I can see why people want to visit Japan. I have seen pictures of their gardening skills... quite amazing. Wishing you a Merry Christmas in case I don't get on your blog again this side of the New Year.

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  15. Wow, it must've taken a lot of time to finish this post. So nicely done and your pictures captured the beautiful tidbits of Nara. Sounds like you learned a lot about the history and culture and historical architectures among others in such a short stay. I am very glad you enjoyed here.
    Looking forward to seeing other travel reports, however, don't push yourself, Jenny.

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    1. Thank you, Cosmos. I tried to remember what you were all telling me about the things we saw! I hope you'll enjoy future posts, too, about other places in Japan and elsewhere on our trip.

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  16. What an absorbing post.There is so much of interest here and your pictures of the parks and streams are like paintings themselves.

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  17. Wow! What an incredible place, your pictures were awesome. My daughter too has found the Japanese people so kind. She gets here Thursday, but says that truly she'll be heading home when she returns to Japan.

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  18. Thank you my friend, for sharing your adventure. What a stunning and beautiful place.

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  19. Hi Jenny, I'm truly in awe of your post. Your photos are just incredible as is the scenery. You've given us a truly insightful look at this beautiful part of the world :D)

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  20. Your photos are so lovely! Thank you for sharing them with us.

    I very much enjoyed a trip to Tokyo and environs, with my dad, some 35 years ago. Lovely people with some charming traditions.

    My grandmother, on my mother's side, was particularly fond of Asian art, especially Japanese watercolors. I suspect I inherited some of that fondness from her and, thus, find much to treasure in Asian things.

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    1. There's a beautiful museum called the Edo Tokyo museum which basically tells history of Tokyo but it was so interesting that when I got to San Francisco I was inspired to go to the museum of Asian art there - well worth a visit and with the most beautiful modern Japanese items on display too during our visit.

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  21. Some beautiful sights there. I like the way they find moss beautiful rather than a nuisance. I must cultivate the moss in our own back garden! The size of the Buddhist figures is amazing. I'm sure the Buddha himself would be vastly embarrassed by such overblown icons!

    I love deer, they're such calm, docile creatures (unless you annoy them, that is). I like the guy who's under siege from the deer but quite unperturbed.

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    1. He seemed to actively enjoy it! He sat there for ages taking no notice whatever of the people but just happy to chill out with the deer.

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  22. How beautiful and how tranquil the gardens appear to be...a encompassing sense of peace must be felt when there.

    A wonderful collage of photos, Jenny...thanks for the travelogue. I'll bet, even though you had a terrific time...it's good to be home again. :)

    I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas...relax and enjoy.

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  23. Japan has never been on my list of places to visit so I truly appreciate you taking us there. Absolutely stunning photos! I am curious to know what is in the biscuits that feed the deer, They might be useful here, as the deer roam our yard this winter.

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    1. I think they are a mixture of rice and bran. They looked rather tasty actually though I didn't go so far as to actually try one myself ! The deer loved them,. for sure.

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  24. What a beautiful place!! Are you already planning to go back??

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  25. Thank you for a wonderful post Jenny. We went there in 2001 and I have forgotten a lot of it, but your photos brought it all back to me! I am smiling now with the happy memories of our day in the same beautiful area. Lovely!

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  26. I have been to Isui-en and Todai-ji many times, but still your photos took my breath away with freshness. I’m so happy to have been able to share the places I love with you and T and you two also loved the places. The Confucius quote which Tomoko prepared in original Chinese on behalf of four of us represents our feeling; “To have friends coming in from afar, how delightful!” Though our meeting has been getting away in quantitative time, the memory is the last part of our pleasures. Thank you for this post, Jenny, with so little time but so many things to do toward the Christmas and the year-end. Wish you the warmth of family being together and never-ending smiles for the holiday season.

    Yoko

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    1. I was so pleased with Tomoko's card. Thank you for your comment and clarification about Binzaru. . As for our day together, you have summed up my own feelings so well, (of course seen from the other side of the glass, in that I feel these things about you) Yes, Christmas is almost here and tonight I'm going to ebegin my older daughter a hand made gift.

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  27. So much to take in here. I'll have to go back to read the post several times and view your fantastic photo's. What a treat to meet your online friends and have someone local show you around.

    Darla

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  28. Looks like you had the best guides you could possibly imagine during your Japan trip. I can tell by the photos that you truly were enchanted by the people and scenery on your journey. I have a small Buddha in my backyard and am very in awe of the ginormous Buddha in the building. The Buddha associated with good health is one all passersby must find hard to resist.

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    1. The experience of seeing the Great Buddha was almost overwhelming. I am not sure I have ever seen such a large statue, let alone been so close to it. I would love to see its face revealed during that window but it only happens very rarely.

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  29. It is lovely that the post brought back happy memories for so many people. It's always good to see a place you know well through another person's eyes .... I will answer some of the messages individually, now that I am able to at last :)

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  30. What an exquisite treat to travel along with you to such a beautiful exotic place on this earth!! I look forward to many more pictures and all your thoughts. Such wonderful ladies to meet. :)

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  31. Beautiful photos. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences :-) x

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  32. Thanks for yet another fascinating post. The photos are truly enchanting. I'll look forward to hearing more about Japan. . . I'm finally back in Blogland (as if you hadn't guessed) after a two-month hiatus. I'm trying to get settled here in Tennessee in my new mountaintop home.

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  33. Japan is a country that passion and love, and I've never visited, but I love, these gardens are a luxury I probably lost in them for hours with my camera .... I wish you a Merry Christmas my dear friend. A huge hug.

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  34. Lovely! I imagine it must have been truly magical to be there at twilight.

    I used to have a Japanese pen pal, and her name was Keiko!

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  35. A superb tour as usual.
    The photographs also are top drawer.
    Lovely stuff, so glad you enjoyed it.

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  36. Your photographs are so beautiful and show the peacefulness and serenity of a Japanese Garden. Isn't it great when you have local contacts to show you the spots you'd never find on your own? Your lunch plate looks delicious!

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  37. That a beautiful place and I can see why you wanted to visit. How great you got to have tour guides you'd met blogging!

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  38. Looks lik eyou had a great time. I loved Japan when I was there so I will check out the other blogs as well

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  39. Jenny, I've never been to Nara but after reading this I do know that if I ever get back there, it will be at the top of my itinerary. The photos in this post -- each and every one -- are so beautiful, so detailed and simply exquisite. I almost feel as though I'm there right now! The deer remind me of those at Miyajima (near Hiroshima) -- I once saw a poor guy nearly get chased for his McDonalds (I think -- fast food bag for sure!). And I'm so glad you got to have okonomiaki -- it's one of my favorites and this is a great reminder that I should have Rick make some soon. He got his recipe from our Hiroshima friends and it's SO GOOD!

    I'm really glad your Japanese travel was wonderful -- but I knew it would be! Can't wait for more!

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  40. It's Boxing Day afternoon and with a few hours all to myself I am treating myself to a relaxing time in Blogland. Having time to read about and appreciate your experiences and all the comments has been not just been relaxing but educational too as well as straightforwardly enjoyable. Thank you.

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  41. This place looks and sounds wonderful - I really must visit Japan. I particularly like the shot of the stepping stones by the mill - and the beautiful Japanese maples - what vivid colours!

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