Nara city

07:00 - Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 - A guide and an excursion to Nara are waiting for you in the lobby of the hotel!

The city of Nara is the oldest Japanese capital (710-784), and is considered the cradle of Japanese culture and art. It was here that the main Japanese crafts, traditions, and sciences appeared.
Nara is a small provincial town with a population of just over 370 thousand people. Life here flows smoothly and measuredly. The first imperial capital of the country is a real open-air museum, which houses the most significant Buddhist buildings.

Todai-ji Temple.Todai-ji Temple

During the excursion you will visit the main attractions of the city: Todai-ji Temple - the largest wooden structure in the world, under its arches sits a giant bronze statue of Buddha Vairochana - the largest Buddha statue in Japan. The temple was erected in the years 710-84 by decree of Emperor Shomu. In those days, disasters and epidemics swept Japan. Emperor Shomu ordered the inhabitants to build a Buddha statue that could protect them. Then 2 180 000 people took part in the construction. The height of the statue is about 15 m, weight 500 tons. Today, Todai-ji Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the territory of the temple complex there are a large number of unique structures, as well as a park where more than 1,500 tame deer live, which are considered "divine messengers." The fact is that according to legend, once upon a time the first Japanese emperor came to Nara on a deer - and right from the sky. Since then, all the descendants of this deer are revered by the Japanese and live in many gardens and parks of the city.

Attention: the authorities are asking not to feed the animals with everything that comes to hand; for this, numerous stalls sell special animal feed.

13:00 - Lunch at a local restaurant. The guide will help you with the choice of dishes.

Kasuga Taisha.

14:00 - Continuation of the excursion. It's nice to walk around the park, delve into the forest, where Japanese kleptomelia grow. Walk through the souvenir shops, here you can buy knives, swords made by Japanese craftsmen.
Kasuga Taisha is the most important Shinto shrine in Nara. It was built in 768 at the foot of the Mikas and Kasug mountains, from which the Shinto gods once descended. The complex has many buildings declared the National Treasure of Japan. According to Shinto traditions, from the 8th to the 19th centuries, the temple was rebuilt every twenty years, leaving their architecture unchanged.
Kasuga-Taisha is known for its lanterns, which number more than 3,000, each donated by pilgrims who have come here for centuries. If you want to see one of the wonders of Japan - the night of lighting the fires, then you should come to the Kasuga-Taisha shrine in early February, when they celebrate the arrival of spring, or in mid-August - on the day of the commemoration of the dead. These days throughout the temple, candles are lit in thousands of lanterns.
Other sanctuary wonders are eight hundred year old wisteria and one thousand year old cryptomeria. Hundreds of plants and flowers are gathered in the Manyo Garden. There is an imperial apple tree here, but it is much younger - the emperor’s family gave it a sanctuary in 1957 to replace the lost first apple tree, which was planted here in the twelfth century. The imperial family and dignitaries of the country quite often visit the Kasuga-Taisha shrine, preferring it to many other shrines.
Kleptomelia, mountains, a mild climate create comfort for your body, the beauty surrounding you caresses your soul. All this will leave forever in your memory this wonderful Japanese world.

18:00 - Return to the hotel.