The Japan (Winter) Diaries - Day 10
January 6, 2017
A short day trip to Nara. Literally when I say "a short trip", I'm not kidding. I had one objective in Nara, and that was to see the deer, so I certainly didn't waste any time getting there - and really didn’t do much else...
First things first, I woke up (in Tokyo) later than I had intended; I had specifically reserved seats the day before on the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto, but I over-slept and missed the train. Luckily there wasn't one too much longer afterwards and reserving seats doesn't cost anything, so it was an easy fix and I didn't lose money.
I got some even better views of Mt. Fuji from the shinkansen on this train journey.
Once again, just like with Matsumoto, I couldn't take the shinkansen directly to Nara so I had to get off at Kyoto and catch a local train for Nara, Japan's first permanent capital. And once again, I walked all the way from the station to my point of interest. I saw this beautiful, dark pagoda before entering the Deer Park. Seriously the coolest park ever. The deer are still “wild”, but certainly pretty friendly, especially if you buy the crackers sold throughout the park to feed them with. But they can still bite, kick, and butt you if they're hangry enough.
I spent an hour or so total here in the deer park, also stopping by the nearby Todai-ji temple to see the famous Great Buddha. Daibutsu-den Hall, the temple in which Great Buddha is housed, is actually the largest wooden structure in the world.
My game plan was to spend the next two nights in Kyoto, since having come this far from Tokyo. So upon finishing my visit to the deer in Nara, I got back on the train for Kyoto and headed straight for Fushimi Inari-Taisha. Ever since watching and reading Memoirs of a Geisha, I had been dying to go here. It was a bit crowded of course, that's for sure, but still so peaceful and serene. Let's just say vermilion might be my new favorite color.
After exploring the impressive shrine grounds, I headed to my hotel, Kyoto Tower Hotel, directly across from Kyoto Station. I rested for a bit after all my explorations, then headed out for dinner and a snack. I had some yummy salmon and tuna nigiri, and even found the maple milk tea released in convenience stores during the fall. Yum! I’m a sucker for seasonal food and beverages.
Highlight of the Day
Nara deer park
Fushimi Inari-taisha
Favorite Food of the Day
salmon + tuna nigiri
Favorite Snack of the Day
N/A
Favorite Drink of the Day
maple-flavored Royal Milk Tea
Obviously, I intend to revisit Tokyo the next time I am in Japan, but Kyoto and Nara will certainly be revisited as well! I fell in love with both cities. Only next time, I won’t be walking around Fushimi-inari with my suitcase…
So, where to next, Meg?
