Many lanterns, more deers.
Today I was in the city of Nara - about half an hour by train from Kyoto - where I visited the Todai-ji, a temple which is said to be the largest wooden building in the world and is home to a huge 15 meter bronze Buddha.
I also spent a little time at the local museum but mostly walked around Kasuga-Taisha, a Shinto shrine dedicated to a goddess who is said to have arrived riding a deer. Deers have therefore been declared sacred and roam the premises freely, in search of treats from the passerby. Also, lanterns can be seen everywhere as the shrine is host to Mantoro, a bi-yearly festival where three thousand lanterns are lit.
