Nara... the ancient Capital

We had been to Nara twice before so rather than see the usual stuff again we decided to be a bit more adventurous.

Heijo Palace

Nara was the capital of Japan before both Tokyo and Kyoto. It is famous for it's temples, but the ruins of the ancient palace still existed so I thought it would be worth a look. Basically....it is not worth going to take a look. The area is a huge open field with walking paths and not much else. It is impossible to get an idea of what was there and the "lookout points" are slabs or concrete overgrown with weeds.

Map of the Palace. The main gate was reconstructed a few years ago.....but there are many gates to see.

An view of the excavations from inside the museum. Was it spectacular....no not really.

Saidai-ji

Next on the trail was a temple famous for serving tea in huge 30cm-50cm wide cups. We went in, asked and were told that they only do it for groups of 30 or more. Strike 2, and an early exit. Considering that the Ninja museum was fairly average we hoped that the final place for the day would be worth it.

Horyu-ji (World Heritage)

In the city of Ikaruga (a little out of Nara unless you have a car), Horyu-ji is stunning. This was the first place in Japan to gain a World Heritage listing and it is easy to see why.

A scan from my entry ticket gives a good idea of what to expect. Horyu-ji is said to have some of the oldest wooden buildings in the world.

Reconstruction is a theme in Japan. For example "oldest" may refer to the original building but the one you end up visiting may have been reconstructed 20 years ago. All that may remain of a 40 building complex may be one building, or even just some statues. I am now quite used to this. It still bothers me, but less so. I have to think in terms of a temple being the idea rather than the physical constructions.

A good example of this is Horyu-ji. According to the wiki page -

"The original temple, named by modern historians and archaeologists Wakakusa-Garan was lost, probably burned to the ground after being hit by lightning in 670. The temple was reconstructed but slightly reoriented in a northwest position, which is believed to have been completed by around 711. The temple has been repaired and reassembled in the early twelfth century, in 1374, and 1603". - Horyu-ji Wiki page

It is a different experience in a country where major buildings were constructed in wood and not stone.

Entering the temple complex

The entry gate

Guardian statues

Inside the main complex

Pagoda

"widely regarded as one of the two oldest wood buildings in the world. The wood used in the center pillar of the pagoda is estimated to have felled in 594." - wiki

We liked the colour and design on the curtains

A bit of detail spotted by Pam

We could not take pictures inside the treasure hall, but it was very enjoyable. The statues in the treasure hall were worth a visit, and a few were marked with the words "National Treasure" which signifies one of the most important works in the country.

Other objects from the temple are actually in the Tokyo National Museum in a special building set aside for them. I went there on my first trip to Tokyo and I thought that they were one of the main highlights of the collection.

Walking between the Eastern and Western sections

Leaving the temple for the day

Comfort Hotel overnight

A nice new hotel opposite the station. Clean, quiet and near restaurants. We enjoyed our night and were ready for more of the trip the next day.

Shin Yakushiji

Yet another attempt to try something different. This small temple near the main Nara park (and beside the museum of photography) was a nice find. Short and sweet is what we like.

Shin-Yakushi-ji was built in 747 but most of it burned down between then and now. The surviving building (another national treasure) houses a collection of 12 statues which are the main reason to visit.

From the front gate.

Nice shots in the garden

Guardian statue (scanned from a postcard)

A good idea of the inside of the main hall (again scanned from a postcard). They may not look much from the postcard. But the statues were fixed with great expressions and emotion.

Kasuga(World Heritage)

Well with a little time to kill we decided to return to the famous Kasuga shrine and have some fun. Kasuga is a famous Shinto shrine and it is in the main Nara park. We visited it last year and enjoyed it. This would be a final chance to see it.