Nara Park really is a place that represents the scenery and atmosphere of Japan. If you visit Nara on a weekday, I highly recommend coming by train. There are relatively fewer tourists, making the whole trip more leisurely and comfortable.
After arriving at the station, there’s a charming shopping street on the right. If you’re hungry, you can first find somewhere to eat and browse the small shops. If you want to head straight to Todaiji Temple, follow the main road on the left. You’ll gradually start encountering sika deer along the way. Although it takes a little while to walk there, the scenery is beautiful, the streets are pleasant and lively, and there are plenty of shops to browse at your own pace. Another route takes you past Kohfukuji Temple first, and after walking through the temple grounds, you’ll enter Nara Park.
When more and more sika deer start appearing in front of you, it means you’re almost at Todaiji Temple! *Something that felt special about this visit was that, unlike what I remembered from before, the deer weren’t all gathered around Todaiji Temple. Instead, they were scattered throughout the park, strolling around at their leisure, which made the overall atmosphere feel much more relaxed.
Of course, there’s one small thing to keep in mind at Nara Park: watch out for the “deer poop” underfoot! And if you buy deer crackers to feed them, you really need to be prepared. The moment they see food, they’ll all rush over at once. So this time, I just watched other people feed them, haha〜
