Ancient capital
The city of Nara appeared in Japan not by chance. Capitals in ancient times moved along with the government. The seers believed that the previous center was founded in the wrong place. Therefore, there was no prosperity and prosperity in the country. In 708, construction began on the Nara cultural center . At the same time, the architects took into account all the instructions of the Feng Shui masters and seers. In 710, the emperor moved to the city and for 74 years Nara was the seat of government. In 784, the capital was moved to the city of Nagaoka, but Nara remained the religious and historical center of the country.
A piece of Nara history
As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries became a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved from Nara to Nagaoka in 784, and a few years later to Kyoto.
Empress Genmei founded the city of Nara around 600. Nara Prefecture had several major cities that acted as the capital of Japan, such as Asuka-kyu, Fujiwara-kyu (between 694–710), and Heiju-kyu (around 710–784). Around the same time, Nara took over the task of the capital of Japan, but the name Nara came later. The city had a rectangular street pattern (like New York) because the city map was based on a copy of the then capital of China.
The imperial palace stood at the northern tip, as in many Chinese cities. The city has many Buddhist monasteries that have hosted Buddhists for centuries. The western part of the city, however, was never fully built as planned. The city was too big and began to grow chaotically. The city's population grew and the city absorbed several villages.
Some parts of it were never completed, so you can find a completely abandoned amusement park called Nara Fairytale Land, which was never opened.
Location, population
Nara is located on the island of Honshu , but it is landlocked, as it is surrounded on all sides by other administrative units. This is the region of Kinki , Kii Peninsula. The prefecture of “deer city” is the smallest in all of Japan. It ranks 40th in area in the country.
The Ikoma Mountains border the city of Osaka to the northwest. The most populated place in the prefecture is the Nara Depression. Most of the territory of this administrative unit is occupied by mountains, hills and rocks.
The city is located next to modern Kyoto. However, Kyoto is a metropolis with a bustling noisy life, and Nara is a measured small town. The population of the “reindeer settlement” is about 1,500,000 people. Buddhism and Confucianism are preached here.
The peninsula is influenced by a subtropical climate. The lowest temperatures were recorded in winter (-3-5 degrees), and the highest in summer (26-28 degrees). There is little snow here, and in summer there is a lot of precipitation. In spring you can see the cherry blossom gardens blooming. Hundreds of tourists come to see this beautiful natural phenomenon.
Climate in Nara
The weather in Nara is similar to other areas of Honshu. In winter it is cool, the temperature is about 0-10 degrees. Summer is much hotter, with temperatures around 30 degrees. At night it gets cooler, about 20-25 degrees. If you are looking for a city with good weather in the summer, Nara is highly recommended.
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Climate
Many tourists wonder why deer are so popular in Japan. The answer lies in an ancient legend. Based on her data, the country's first emperor descended from heaven on deer . In Japanese religion, these animals are considered messengers of the gods. They are honored and respected. In Japan, everyone tries to protect noble animals and create optimal conditions for their existence. Many people feed the deer by hand, pet them and take pictures. Animals do not run away from humans, but on the contrary, they go towards him.
Nara city
The city of Nara is known to many as the source and one of the cradles of Japanese culture. The city is located on the island of Honshu, in the southern part of Lake Biwa, densely surrounded by hills, forests and fields, while it is the center of the prefecture of the same name (an administrative unit of Japan). Nara is known for its rich architectural heritage as well as art, which attract millions of tourists to this fascinating city every year. With all this, the city's population does not exceed 600,000 people.
The ancient buildings of the city of Nara are located on the slopes of Mikasayama, offering excellent views of the surrounding lands.
In the city of Nara, the climate is very changeable, but, in general, quite mild. It has still retained the atmosphere of a small town, in which industry is practically undeveloped. The most popular items here are nara-ningyo (carved wooden dolls), fans, and a variety of ceramic products. The city reached its peak of development during the reign of Somu-tenno (ancient Japanese, tenno - ruler). During this period, a bronze statue of Buddha was cast, the height of which was 16 meters. A special imperial decree contributed to the spread of Buddhism; according to it, temples were erected in all provinces; in addition, a special bureau was created for the dissemination and copying of Buddhist texts. You can watch a video about this
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The city of Nara is a worthy place for tourist routes to explore Japan.
Nara - the city of deer
In Japan, many people do not call this city by name, but they say it is the city of Deer. And not because one and a half deer families live in the Nara Zoo, but because they are real residents of the city. In total there are about 1600 heads. They roam freely through the parks and gardens of the city, and are not afraid to sometimes venture into the most built-up modern areas. True, then they are respectfully expelled to the park))))) Deer in Nara are revered and loved.
There is a legend that the first Emperor of Japan came to Nara from heaven on a deer, and all the horned animals now living in Nara are his descendants. In honor of this event, festivities are held annually in the city.
You can always feed the deer by purchasing food from special sellers, pet them and take a photo with them.
Tourism
Millions of people visit Japan every year. The country attracts with its diverse way of life, rich culture and ancient religion. Sacred cities and trails, Buddhist temples and national monuments can all be seen in the city of Nara.
The most famous Buddhist temples in Nara:
- Chugu-Ji.
- Asuka-Dera.
- Saidai-Ji.
- Hase-Dera.
- Omine-san Ryusen - Dzi.
At Saidai-Ji Temple you can see the ancient statue of the goddess Kannon, who has a thousand arms, and at Chugu-Ji there is a statue of Buddha created in 725. Together with them, tourists rush to visit the ancient holy graves: the Umami-kofun complex, the Sakafuneishi memorial and Ishiachi-kofun. They hide the country's cultural heritage and many mystical mysteries.
Travelers enjoy visiting the hot springs at Kamiya, Totsukawa, Seneba and Dorogova. Mount Miminashi, Unebi and Amanokagu are also popular among tourists. From their peaks you can see all the beauty and enjoy the surrounding landscape.
The sights of the “city of deer” do not end with temples and monuments . There are four national parks in the vicinity of the prefecture: Nara, Yoshino-Kumano, Ikoma Skyland, Kongo-Ikoma Kisen. In them you can see not only animals and birds, but also interesting plants and flowers.
Hot spots in Nara
Nara is less than an hour's drive from Kyoto and Osaka. Because of its past as the first permanent capital, the city is still full of historical treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples.
Kitakyushu City in Kyushu, Japan
The real hot spots of the city are the 5 large Buddhist temples that you cannot ignore while in the city. In addition, the city is famous for Shinto shrines (they are everywhere on the island of Honshu). At some shrines you will find the sacred Nara deer, large and small deer that roam freely among tourists.
Nara Park
Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a large park in the center of Nara. Founded in 1880, it is home to many of Nara's major attractions, including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and Nara National Museum.
Among foreign visitors, one of Nara's most popular attractions is the herd of free-roaming deer in Nara Park. These 1,200 or so deer, classified as a natural treasure, are a popular topic of social media posts that can be found under the tag #鹿活. The park has long protected deer in honor of the myth that the god of Kashima Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture rode a white deer to Kasuga Shrine in 768.
Friendly deer will happily take the special crackers from your hand, but keep in mind that they are wild and easily feel threatened. Typically they take what they can get and move on, but recently several deer have become aggressive, even biting the hands that fed them.
Deer in the temples of the city of Nara.
Visit the imperial palace, which has beautiful Japanese gardens. Since the city is relatively small, you can plan to visit several attractions in one day.
Take care of your pants! A Japanese city defends itself from bears with the help of monsters
Horyuji Temple
Horyuji Temple (法隆寺, Hōryūji) was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, who is credited with early propagation of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1993.
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Nara is an ancient Japanese city with a rich history, which was once the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun. Numerous sights, ancient temples and other buildings that attract tourists and pilgrims remain from its former greatness. But the main attraction of the city is its sika deer, which are declared sacred animals here.
According to one legend, all local artiodactyls are descendants of the mythical deer on which the first emperor of Japan descended from heaven.
After World War II, deer were officially stripped of their divine status and became revered as a national treasure.
Now in Nara there are about 1,200 lazy, well-fed deer, which wander in herds along the city streets and impudently poke their muzzles (or hooves) at tourists, waiting for handouts.
Special crackers are sold everywhere for deer.
There are deer there at every step. And near every shop with shika-senbei (deer cookies), they crowd around, surround tourists and crave these cookies.
Leaves from trees or grass from deer are no longer considered food compared to shika-senbei.
As soon as someone buys a cookie, the deer begin to break away the cookie. Animals come from all sides, push each other away, fight for cookies, and tear them out of their hands. If they had antlers, the deer would hurt each other. But deer don't always have antlers.
Every year in October, a special festival called Shika no Tsunokiri takes place in Nara. On this day, all deer that have grown antlers are caught and the antlers are removed.
Another tradition is associated with these deer. At the end of winter, when food becomes too scarce, the deer are given special food. They are called to dinner by a musician playing Beethoven's 6th Symphony on the bugle.
This tradition has existed since 1892 and was interrupted only during the Second World War, but was restored in 1949. On February 11, 1979, the famous Italian trumpeter Nini Rosso set up an experiment and played the 6th symphony not on a bugle, but on a trumpet, but the deer recognized a familiar melody and came out to him from the thicket.
Eastern healers compare the beneficial properties of antlers only with ginseng. Deer antlers occupy one of the first places in the list of drugs used to prolong youth and maintain strength. Antler drugs help in the treatment of many diseases.
This information board clearly shows what a deer can do to you and nothing will happen to him for it! But to be honest, they don’t care about people, whether a person has food or not.
Many Japanese cities have their own hero mascot. Nara is no exception, their Sento-Kun looks like a boy with deer antlers. It was invented in 2010, when Nara celebrated its 1300th anniversary.
If you bow to deer, they bow back.
Nara is also famous for its park, where deer live, and the tallest wooden building in the world. →Next post.
https://magspace.ru/blog/travel/308066.html
