Day 143- October 3

Our Trip to Nara

By Sally (note: you may want to read Al's entry first.  I mistakenly inserted mine first, and am too lazy to move it.)

 

Another interesting bathroom feature- a sink with a built in hand dryer at the front.  Since it would not be apparent to everyone that the sink includes a hand dryer, there are instructions at the front of the sink.  This may decrease efficiency of restroom use- since you remain at the sink to dry your hands rather than moving to a separate hand dryer.

Drew is holding a package of biscuits which are sold in the deer park.  The plentiful biscuits that the visitors give the deer keep the deer in the park.  Deer will come running upon seeing someone holding the biscuits.  Fortunately, the deer are wise enough not to approach the biscuit sellers.

 

By Al                                                                                                                                  

Today, we went to Nara, which is about an hour train ride from Osaka.  It is most famous for its giant Buddha.  It is really big, but the other thing of importance is that it is housed in the largest wood building in the world.  Most people go to see the Buddha but don't look at the building.

A shrine to children in Nara along side the sidewalk.

Amy with a volunteer guide from the Nara Visitors Bureau.  They are walking throught the Yakushiji Temple.

Nara is famous for its tame deer.  They are all over.

Drew, Amy and a deer.

Constructed in 752 on the order of Emperor Shomu, Todaiji Temple's Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsu-den) in Nara is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses an immense statue of Rushana Butsu, the "Cosmic Buddha."  You can ge an idea of its size by noticing the people standing in front of the building. The current building was constructed in 1709. 

It is hard to get a picture that shows the size of the Buddha.  It is 49.1 feet tall.

This is Bishamonten, of of the guardians of the temple.

This is Komukuten, another guardian

A statute outside the building.

This was a Rotary meeting place that we saw as we walked around Nara on our way back to the train station.  Unfortunately, they were not meeting.

A street sculpture.  There are sculptures randomly all over Japan.

Amy and Drew getting into the act.