Showing posts from July, 2015

Japan Diaries: Day 18

Day 18: January 5, 2015

Good morning Japan! We had to wake up very early today to catch our flight at Kansai International Airport (KIX) going to Haneda Airport. Our chosen carrier for this flight is the All Nippon Airlines or simply ANA. I was amazed because the plane used for this 1-hour flight was quite big compared to the planes we use in the Philippines and even the one that carried us to Japan.

Anyways going back to our flight. It was about two thirds of the flight when we saw what most tourists in Japan wanted to see -the majestic Mt. Fuji. It was a scene out of my dreams. From my seat (window seat on the left side of the plane), I got the privilege of seeing the most famous volcano of Japan like a VIP on a sold out concert.
From Haneda Airport, we immediately boarded a bus that brought us to our destination -Tokyo Disneyland. This super famous theme park really lived up to its name. Die-hard Disney fans could be seen swarming every Disney character mascots on sight (some even giv…

Nara: Tōdai-ji (Temple)

Located in the vicinity of Nara Park in central Nara, Nara Prefecture in Japan, Tōdai-ji Temple or simply Tōdai-ji (東大寺, Eastern Great Temple) is the largest wooden structure in the world today.

Tōdai-ji Temple's history could be traced back to the year 728 during the reign of Emperor Shōmu. During that time Nara was still the capital of Japan. The temple eventually became the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan. It is also the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism.
The temple is popularly known as the home of the largest statue of Buddha in Japan. It is know as the Great Buddha or the Nara Daibutsu. According to legends, millions of people (more than 2 million according to existing records) helped in the construction of the Great Buddha. Aside from that tons of bronze were also used in the project (probably draining the treasury of the country at that time). It was finally finished and dedicated in the year 752AD. The event was so special that it…

Nara: Nara Park

Located in Nara City, Nara Prefecture in Japan, Nara Park (奈良公園Nara Kōen)is a public park popular for the hundreds of free roaming wild sika deer.

Nara Park was established in 1880. It is designated as one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty" by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.The official size of the park is about 502 hectares but some says its bigger than that. The park includes the grounds of Tōdai-ji Temple, Kōfuku-ji Temple and Kasuga Shrine. You could also find the Nara National Museum in the park.
Going back to what makes the park unique -the deer... Many people tend to ask why there are so many of them and why they are allowed to roam freely? Well, according to local folklore, the sika deer in the park and surrounding areas are sacred animals. It all started when one of the four gods of Kasuga Shrine, Takemikakazuchi-ni-mikoto was invited to visit the place. It was said that he appeared on Mt. Mikasa-yama riding a white deer. Since then t…

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