I’ve done this trip twice, once on each of my journeys to Japan. And both times, it has been among the highlights of my entire time in the country. After all, combining one of the coolest temples in a country full of cool temples with a chance to feed the sacred deer is a day full of smiles.

Getting to Nara is easy, with trains running from both Kyoto and Osaka. From Kyoto, I opt for the Kintetsu line rather than JapanRail since it goes into a station slightly closer to Nara Park, but it really doesn’t matter. Either way, you’ll follow the signs and the crowds up the main street and toward the park. And yes, there will be crowds; on my most recent trip, a Wednesday morning was already packed.

Modern Nara is a mid-sized city of about 350,000, but one doesn’t visit Nara for any of its modern aspects. Rather, one comes to see the Nara that was the imperial Japanese capital from 710-794, before the imperial family moved to Kyoto. The sites associated with this period (several temples, a shrine, a palace, and a sacred forest) together make up the UNESCO World Heritage Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.

Of the temples, Todai-Ji is considered to be the “best.” (To be fair, it is the only one I’ve visited, so I have no point of comparison.) It is also one of the most convenient, sitting inside of Nara Park, which will likely be your most important destination in the city upon arrival. The original temple dates to 738, although the version seen today is the product of a number of reconstructions (partial), the most recent being in 1709. Todai-Ji’s Great Buddha Hall, which sits at the center of the temple complex, is said to be the largest wooden building in the world, and also holds one of the largest bronze Buddha statues (this one of the Buddha Vairocana).

The central Buddha is flanked by two others, only slightly smaller and just as beautiful. The main Buddha stands (sits) at about 15 meters in height, with eyes a meter across, but is actually about 30% smaller than the original that was built with the temple. Funding problems during reconstruction led to the lesser dimensions seen today.

Todai-Ji can get very crowded. The line to buy tickets might be long, although as admission is not restricted, it moves quickly. Once inside the temple, you’ll cross a courtyard to the Great Buddha Hall (after taking photos, probably) for what will be a one-way march clockwise around the three Buddhas to admire the building’s interior features. These include additional statues, stunning floral arrangements, and of course, the building itself, which is the largest wooden building (the wooden Setas sculpture in Seville, Spain is larger but is not a building) in the world.

As cool as Todai-Ji is – and as spectacular as the rest of the sites of the UNESCO Nara probably are – most visitors to Nara center their trips solely on Nara Park, with the history being an afterthought. And even that isn’t for the park itself, but rather for the inhabitants thereof. Nara Park is home to about 1200 “sacred” sika deer. Folklore tells of a visit from the Shinto god Takemikazuchi riding a white deer, and so deer from the area were considered divine, with killing one punishable by death. Following World War Two, the deer were reduced in stature from divine to mere national treasure status, but they still basically rule Nara Park and its surrounds.

Upon arrival in the park, you’ll see them everywhere, and it will seem easy to assume that there are thousands. But the truth is that these wild animals stick to the spots most traversed by people, because that is how they eat. Every fifty yards or so sits a stand selling “deer crackers,” which visitors can buy in a bundle – the paper holding it together is also edible for the deer – for two hundred yen each, as of this writing. The deer will approach anyone holding such treats, begging to be fed.

The adorable part of this process is that, being here in Japan, the deer are used to being greeted with a bow. They have learned that if they bow back, they will be more likely to be given a cracker. So they will do so, which only reinforces the “sacred” aspect.

However, remember that these are wild animals, despite their protection here in Nara. They can be aggressive, and upon it being realized you have food, you might be charged by several at a time, who will have no issue trying to get the crackers, or to get your attention, by biting. My advice is to wear jeans and something covering your arms so as to minimize the chance of the deer piercing the skin, just in case. (The bites can still leave bruises.)

(Note: it can be tempting to tease the deer with the food to try to get them to bow, or to pose for photos, or whatever else you might want. Don’t. First off, it is mean. And second, you might end up on the wrong end of an overly aggressive animal.)

There isn’t really much in the way of food options inside Nara Park outside of a few street food or snack vendors, so it is probably best to eat along the main road either before entering or after leaving. It is also probably a better idea to not share any of that human food with the deer.

If you ask me, an hour or so train from Kyoto or Osaka (longer from Kobe) to hang out with awesome bowing deer and see a huge wooden temple is totally worth it. And given Nara actually having hotels, if I were to come back I might spend a couple nights to see the remainder of the UNESCO buildings. Regardless, Nara is a place that will make you smile… as long as you don’t get bitten.

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