Published: 13.11.2025
Today I was finally able to visit Nara, a small ancient city 40 minutes south of Kyoto that was once the capital of Japan in the 8th century.
When I came here for the first time in autumn 2018 and then during cherry blossom season in spring 2019, each time only for one day, I was so ridiculously happy in this place where thousands of wild deer come down from the mountains into the city's large park in the morning and climb back up with the onset of darkness, that I promised myself if I could come back, I would stay longer. So now I have a whole week in this truly dreamlike location.
The deer move completely freely in the park and even on the neighboring streets all the way to the train station, so you almost stumble right into their arms when you arrive. The legend says that a significant monk rode in here on a white deer in the 8th century, which is why these animals are considered sacred and are tolerated by everyone, wherever they appear or stop, even if traffic has to pause for a while.
The animals are very tame and enjoy being petted, but even more so being fed directly from your hand with the special deer crackers that can be bought at every corner and are said to be quite healthy. Interestingly, they have learned to “bow” in a Japanese manner to receive a cracker, at least the more polite ones. The cheeky ones chase after you, bump into you, try to get into your jacket pockets, and even bite at your pants and tug on them! Today I received a few solid nudges and shouted “get lost!” several times.
What is sad to see is that many young bucks have their antlers sawed off, as there have apparently been some serious accidents in previous years. Currently, it is also mating season, so extra caution is warned around the male animals. But above all, they are quite voracious. And very picturesque.
As in almost all mass tourism centers, it is relatively easy to escape the crowds if you walk around the corner twice and then a bit further. The park is huge and sprawling, with views of the surrounding mountains, which are quickly turning vibrant colors; there are areas with ancient thick trees, stone lanterns, shrines, tea houses, meadows, ponds, and fields, and the deer are everywhere, sometimes suddenly running in groups and then settling down motionless in another spot, staring off meditatively and gently into the distance. I find this sight to be almost fairy-tale-like; somehow, you feel like you’re in a completely different world that doesn’t seem quite real.
So in the next few days, I will mainly be thinking about, seeing, photographing, cheering for, and reporting on “deer,” perhaps occasionally interrupted by the Great Buddha, a pagoda (the large five-story one is unfortunately completely wrapped up and under construction at the moment), a new onsen, and other surprises in Nara that I might discover on my wanderings.
And tomorrow I will probably go mountain climbing again.
