When people come to visit me in Japan, they usually have a list of things they want to do and see–and if it’s a person’s first trip to Japan, the list invariably includes a visit to Nara’s famous deer.
Read moreThe Deer of Nara Park
Nara
Crawling Through the Buddha’s Nostril
I saw a lot of strange, and sometimes unbelievable, things and places in Japan. But watching my adult son squeeze through an 18″ hole in a massive pillar, while a crowd of Japanese visitors cheered him on, was among the strangest–and most fun–of all.
Read moreA Visit to Kasuga Shrine (part 2)
Last Monday, we walked along the approach to Kasuga Shrine, which winds through Nara Park (in Nara, Japan). This week, we pass through the massive wooden gates: To the right of the heiden, a garden contains a number of smaller (but still important) shrines: Kasuga Shrine honors four of Japan’s most important Shinto kami: Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, Futsunushi-no-mikoto, Amenokoyane-no-mikoto, and Himegami. The deities are enshrined within a part of the shrine not normally open to visitors; only the emperor of Japan and the kannushi, or high priest, of Kasuga Shrine are allowed to enter the sacred space. Kasuga Taisha (“Shrine”) is a lovely example of the way Shinto
Read moreBeware of Deer . . . and The Ninja’s Daughter
I took today’s photo in Nara Park, Japan in June of 2015:
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