To Travel Is To Live: Japan: Kansai 6 (Nara, Osaka)

Dropping the original idea to stop at the Horyu-Ji Buddhist temple complex on the way to Nara makes it a leisurely morning. We arrive in Nara in time for a Kaiseki lunch, this time at a mom and pop place. Yamamura-San offers a superb meal at this small unassuming place that bears his name at a fraction of the cost of comparable food at some of the top restaurants in Kyoto.

Nara: Chef Yamamura prepares sashimi at the counter, having just finished grating the wasabi

Nara: sashimi served in an ice bowl at Wa Yamamura

Nara: hassun at Wa Yamamura

Wa Yamamura, Nara: the chef's wife carefully places items from the hassun on to the individual plate

Wa Yamamura, Nara: a hand-written menu lists all the items served to us during lunch.

Wa Yamamura, Nara: the rice bowl signals the end of the kaiseki meal.

Wa Yamamura, Nara: the chef signs the back of our menu, the calligraphy including words like spring and happiness.

My second time in Nara, the first capital. Nothing seems to have changed in a dozen years, except a lot more crowds. Nara is an old historic city known for Todai-Ji Temple among others, but some of the modern-day visitors seem to be most delighted in feeding the abundant deer in Nara Park.

Nara: a wave of humanity on the path to Todai-Ji

Nara: a deer, cherry blossoms, and a sign that says Todai-Ji

Nara: a deer and cherry blossoms

Nara: a deer, cherry blossoms, and a painter

Nara: Todai-Ji, the largest historic wooden structure in the world

Todai-Ji, Nara: Daibutsu, the largest bronze Buddha statue in the world, and the metal petals of the lotus it sits on. The Buddha lost its head a couple of times in history. (Literally, but not figuratively, as the Buddha never gets mad!)

Todai-Ji, Nara: a line to try slithering through a narrow opening in the column

Nara: Kasuga-taisha Shrine

Kasuga-taisha Shrine, Nara: known for its thousands of lanterns

Kasuga-taisha Shrine, Nara: a 500 yen admission buys you some tranquility and a view of bronze lanterns

Nara: Kofuku-Ji

Nara: the Kofuku-Ji complex has a treasure house which contains national treasures including a fantastic 8th century Ashura statue (featured in the middle here, no photos allowed inside)

We return to Osaka in time to visit Osaka Castle finally. This castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who may be a hero in Japan but unfortunately is considered a chief villain by Koreans for presiding over the Japanese invasion of Korea in late 16th century. But there is no denying that the castle and the abundant cherry blossoms lit at night are a fantastic sight.