Nara was Japan’s first permanent capital, founded nearly 1300 years ago. As such, it is full of historic treasures worth visiting, and also home to some of the oldest, and largest temples in Japan. Despite this, Nara is quite small, and is easily explored on foot in a single day. A large number of sights are located in or near Nara Park, where wild deer roam freely! These deer are believed to be messengers from the gods in the Shinto religion, and are a designated national treasure!
Highlights in Nara include the aforementioned Nara Park, as well as Todaiji and Horyuji Temple. Todaiji contains the largest wooden building in the world, Daibutsuden, which houses a 15 meter tall bronze Buddha. Horyuji Temple, was founded by the man who introduced Buddhism to Japan and the main building are the oldest surviving wooden structure in the world.
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