Easter Sunday - not a Christian in sight. While our guide states that the Japanese don't consider themselves a "religious" country, they really appreciate their history of Buddhism and Shintoism, as witnessed by all the people praying at the cultural antiquities, now World Heritage sites. Today, even in the rain, we donned our umbrellas and headed out for the towns of Nara and Fushimi, first to visit the Sacred Deer Nara Park, home of hundreds of very assertive deer who expect crackers from the visitors, boldly pushing their noses into your jacket pockets! These animals roam free on the grounds of the temple of the Great Image of Buddha, housed in the world's largest wooden buiding.
The Kasuga Shinto Shrine claims 2000 stone lanterns lining its garden paths. At one time they were all candle-lit. It was quite a distance between this site and the next so we had a comfy bus to dry off in between towns. Lunch was at a still different Japanese-style restaurant for tempura and green tea ice cream.
The wet weather dominated our afternoon visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine with its "1000" red gates. (All temples have a gate with a Purification well at the entrance.) By now we felt like wet rats and were glad to get home to relax, dry off, and put our feet up.
Kana arranged an optional four course dinner in the neighborhood tonight for yakatori (grilled chicken on a stick). Food is a real art in Japan. Everything is served in small dishes/bowls, course at a time, and the presentation is everything designed to make one slow down, appreciate a real "experience" in asthetics and enjoyment. Of course, not every taste offering was appreciated by us Westerners, as there is some awfully strange food here- but it looks beautiful! We are all adept at the use of chopsticks by now.
P.S. Last night's Sacura cherry blossom Illumination was amazing!
Pic 1: deer rule!; Pic 2: Buddha (built in four sections); Pic 3: stone lanturns: Pic 4: another style restaurant
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