Japan > The temple of Nara

When I come out of the shared shower, I run into the Mexican who sleeps near me. He took a photo of me yesterday in my yukata, a Japanese robe. Now we’re both wearing them. He asks if he can take another photo to send to his mother. Of course. After breakfast, I take the subway to the train station. Today, there are only the three of us. At the station, I meet Allert and Carla again. We buy tickets for the “regular” train to Inari—a ride of only a few minutes. As we step onto the platform, the train is already arriving. We quickly board.

Japan - The pilgrimage path along the thousands of torii

Two stations later, we’re in Fushimi, home to the Inari Shrine. The temple is famous for its thousands of torii gates (Buddhist gates). Along a four-kilometer path up the hill, the red-orange gates stand in a continuous line. Each gate is sponsored by a company. Many people come for the shrine and follow this path. I walk through the gates in a column of visitors. Luckily, most people choose to do only the first part of the walk. I continue. Perhaps I should have stopped too, because it’s sweltering. Sweat streams down my body. Fortunately, there are several stalls halfway along the route selling water. After more than an hour, we’re back down at the temple. We buy a new ticket for the next stage. Yesterday, we checked whether it would be worthwhile to get a day pass, but individual tickets proved cheaper. Once again, the train arrives quickly. I suspect trains in Japan always arrive quickly—there are simply so many of them. We continue on to Uji. In Uji stands the Byodo-in Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This temple is also depicted on the 10 yen coin. Today feels hotter—or rather, more stifling—than previous days.

Japan - The local train to Nara

Perhaps I’m just less tolerant of it today. I stroll to the entrance of Byodo-in. Here we can buy a ticket for the gardens. In the park, we must buy an additional ticket for the Phoenix Hall, which houses the Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. The garden is beautiful, and the museum pleasantly cool. The video about the Amida Buddha statue in Phoenix Hall is especially interesting. When we want to visit the temple itself, we’re met with disappointment. Tickets for the next guided tours are already sold out. We would have to wait over an hour and a half, which we find too long. Without ever having seen the Amida Buddha, we head back to the station. The next and final stop for today is Nara. In Nara stands Todai-ji Temple. Built of wood, it is the largest wooden structure in the world. Again, we are not alone. We follow the flow of tourists toward the temple, passing Kofuku-ji Temple and Sarusawa Pond. In the park on the way to Todai-ji, deer roam—so many deer. Around the temples of Nara, there are reportedly over a thousand tame deer. Tourists feed them en masse with cookies bought at nearby stalls. The animals are so accustomed to people that they even lie in the middle of the paths while hundreds of people pass by.

Japan - The temple in Nara is the largest wooden temple in the world

Inside the temple stands an impressively large statue of the Great Buddha Vairocana, dating from 752. On either side are towering statues of Tamonten, the heavenly guardians. The temple leaves a strong impression on me. Hidden in the park is the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, which the travel guide calls the most photographed Shinto temple in Japan. The shrine is a disappointment. Part of it is closed for maintenance, and the rest looks new. The dimmed hall with hundreds of burning lanterns is remarkable; only the lantern light is visible. Outside, the sky has turned cloudy. Thunder rumbles in the distance. Just as we board the bus to the station, it starts raining—hard. We are lucky with the timing. The whole day had beautiful weather. Covered, we reach the station and buy tickets back to Kyoto. We board the train while it still rains outside. Fifty minutes later, we are back in Kyoto. The sky above Kyoto has cleared, and it is dry. Under the station building is a food center. The three of us are tired from the exhausting day and don’t feel like going to our hotels first and then meeting up again. In a café-bar, we order drinks and food. Afterwards, we say our goodbyes. Our paths separate for a few nights: I stay in Kyoto, while Allert and Carla head to the coast, though they’re not exactly sure where yet.