Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Taisha Shrine is a religious place of worship for Shintoism in Japan. It was established in 710 and has been included in the list of world cultural heritage. It is dedicated to the four guardian deities of the Fujiwara family, and is now an important worship site in Japan. The entire shrine rests on the foot of Kasuga Mountain, surrounded by lush and beautiful vegetation. Kasuga Mountain has always prohibited logging, so everything here seems natural and ancient. There are beautiful views along the way. At the intersection near the Nara Prefectural Office, you can see a tall Ichino Torii, and go all the way along the long Omotesando. From time to time, there will be lively and cute deer coming to you. If you happen to buy deer cookies, you can feed them all the way. Walking near Feihuoye, on the left is the Nara National Museum. If you are interested in Buddhist culture, you can visit it. The Nara Buddha Museum inside has a very good collection. And in the woods on the right side of the path, is the home of the lovely deer - Luyuan. Continue along Omotesando, from here, stone night lights will gradually appear on both sides of the path, and there are dense forests on both sides. There is a Manyo Botanical Garden at the right turn of the access road. There are more than 300 kinds of plants in it. It is recorded in the ancient Japanese song collection "Manyoshu". You can enjoy different plants according to different seasons. In winter, it is limited. During the lantern festival to be held, you may wish to go on a night tour. The spectacular stone lanterns on the access road turn right and then walk forward to a small crossroads, facing a squatting stone deer, and in front of them are the washbasins of the shrines, where you can clean your hands and prepare to worship to show your respect to the gods . According to legend, the horse of the god of the shrine is a deer, so people believe that the deer in the nearby mountains and forests are the messengers of the god. There are dense stone lanterns on both sides of the access road. These are donated and built by believers and believers. The rows are uneven and spectacular. There are currently about 1,800 lanterns. You can see that these stone lanterns are covered with moss, which is very ancient and Zen. At this time, walk north for a few minutes along the path on the left, and you can visit the Treasure Hall, but until the summer of 2016, it is still under maintenance and temporarily closed. The cute little deer sign and the ancient wisteria go up the stairs, pass the south gate, and officially enter the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. On the left side of the door, you can buy a wishing royal guard, write an ema or smoke a deer. sign. In this courtyard, there is a wisteria plant that is over 700 years old. The branches are on the wooden shed, and the purple flower sea when it blooms in spring is very beautiful. You need to buy a ticket to enter the main hall. The first is the shrine for worship and prayer, and the main hall of the shrine is inside. There is a row of scattered copper lanterns hanging between the West Corridor and the Zhihui Hall, with the Japanese shrine architecture in vermilion, which is very distinctive. It is also a popular location for tourists to take pictures. After passing through the dance hall, you will enter the Apple Garden, so named because of the presence of an apple tree. Nestled on the front of the Zhihui Hall is a huge cypress tree, which is said to have a history of 800-1000 years. The unique thing is that there is a branch that emerges from the roof of the Zhihui Hall and grows vigorously. The manifestation of vitality. The main hall and the apse are located in the shrine. The entire surface of the building is painted in vermilion. There are also many Japanese religious buildings in the courtyard, such as the Taga Shrine, which prays for longevity. You only need to put 200 yen in the "Housing Box". There are a large number of small shrines on the way from the Ni-no-torii gate to the main shrine, and after leaving the main shrine and continuing to the south, there are dozens of large and small Shemo shrines on the side of the path. They are all located within the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, or because the deities worshiped have a deep relationship with the main god of Kasuga Taisha, or are under the management of Kasuga Taisha, there are many popular shrines such as the couple Daikuni Shrine and Jinlong Shrine. It is said that Praying for marriage or golden luck is very effective. The special Wanlan Festival can try to walk around the shrine along the three-way corridor of the shrine starting from the imperial corridor, and you will see a large number of copper lanterns hanging on the corridor. Kasuga Taisha Shrine has many different festivals every year, and the Mando Festival, which is held twice a year (February and August), is not to be missed. During the Lantern Festival, nearly 3,000 lanterns in the shrine are lit up, and the wonderful sacred scene is amazing. Every November around Japan's "Seven-Five-Three" Children's Day, parents will also bring their 3, 5, and 7-year-old children to the shrine on weekends to pray in kimono. In the northeast corner of the main hall, there is a small room called "The House of Fujinami". There is no natural light and no lights in the house, but dozens of lit copper lanterns are densely hung, and three walls are inlaid with mirrors. , it adds a bit of mystery and depth, and if you still have time to stroll around this cottage, you can experience the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival.