Deer in Nara

Yesterday we went into Nara and met some of the friendliest deer around.

Nara Prefecture is next to Osaka, to the East, and getting there was super easy and cheap from our location. When we got off the train a huge procession was taking place along the main street to the park! We had no idea what was going on but admired the incredible organisation this must have required.

Men carrying spears and samurai, casual.

And these cool samurai on horses in the park! Check out his helmet with antlers. We still have no idea what was going on, it was a Tuesday not even a weekend, but we were lucky to stumble upon this festivity.

I'd heard about the Nara deer, but didn't know what to expect and if we'd even be able to get close to them. On the train I said to Jonny that if I don't stroke a deer today I won't be happy! But I did not need to worry about that... As soon as we entered I made a friend.

And got even closer to this beauty.

 You can buy 'deer cookies' from vendors in the park so you can feed some. The attention you get when carrying these cookies is quite intense.

But we managed to feed the ones we liked and leave the feisty ones behind.

Sorry, none left!

The park also contains this stunning five story pagoda from the 1400s.

And the famous Buddha Hall sits inside Todai-ji. 

The deer are everywhere! But unfortunately they couldn't make it through to the actual shrine. The Great Buddha Hall, an impressive building in its own right, contains the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha.

The pictures don't do it justice but the statue is incredibly big and breathtaking. It's 15m high. Walking up the stairs and through the door, you get a stunning view of this magnificent statue.

 \

And these somewhat intimidating statues guard the front of the temple.

The Great Buddha Hall was beautiful, and Jonny managed to squeeze through a hole in a pillar which supposedly entitles you to a spot in heaven - worthwhile day out then!

Before going home we befriended more deer...

And even spied this cheeky one eating paper from the bins!

I saw this adorable baby deer and, of course, really wanted to try to feed him cookies.

And I managed! Although everyone else wanted them too...

Nara is a spectacular place, in my opinion it seems much nicer than Kyoto. Being able to get so close to deer was incredible, and combining that with beautiful pieces of Japanese history really made it a special day out. We saw a lot of Western faces compared to the few we see in Osaka, so it does seem to be big a tourist destination. I want to go back in the summer with a picnic - and see how the deer react to that!