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 park
A 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:
Read moreThe Purification Deer at Japan’s Kasuga Shrine
I took today’s photo near the entrance to Kasuga Taisha (Shrine), in Nara, Japan.
Read more