Japan Trip Report, Apr12-28, 2024, Day 7: Nara day trip: Isuien Garden, Neiraku museum, Yoshikien garden, Todaiji temple
DAY 7, Apr 18 Thurs 2024:
Nara day trip [ Isuien Garden, Neiraku museum, Yoshikien garden, Todaiji temple Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall)]
Nara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. home to eight temples, shrines, and ruins, specifically Tōdai-ji, one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples (8th century), with the world's largest wooden building and the largest bronze Buddha statue.
Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794 as the seat of the Emperor before the capital was moved to Kyoto.
Nara is just 45 km from Kyoto, less than an hour by train from Kyoto and Osaka, and easily accessible, so it's often done as a day trip
OUR DAY TRIP LOGISTICS AND WHAT WENT WRONG
There are two companies running trains
from Kyoto to Nara: JR East and Kintetsu, the JR station in Nara is
further away from the temple, so we decided to take the Kintetsu
Limited Express.
All our important destinations and the train stations are marked in red circles in the map below.
Both the temple and the gardens open
only at 9:00 AM so we decided to have a relatively late start. there
are world class gardens there. we were hoping to see the gardens
first and then walk to the temple
We were careful not to buy the JR tickets because the JR Station at Nara is not convenient for walking to the shrine, it is further away than the Kintetsu Station. The Kintetsu is also a little lower priced and equally fast though it is not an express like the JR.
It was supposed to be a direct train
but we were asked to transfer. We made a mistake, thankfully we
didn't get punished or fined.
The details are as follows.
For our Nara day trip from Kyoto we bought the ticket for the direct line Kintetsu at the ticket kiosk in the station. The staff member gave us a bunch of tickets. We were supposed to get one ticket but the kiosk member gave us two tickets each. When we asked him he said we had to get down at an earlier station Yamatosaidaiji and take the next train from the same platform for two more stops to Nara, it will be quite simple.
So we got down at the Yamatosaidaiji station he specified, stood on the same platform and saw on the electronic board the train to Nara was coming in two minutes. A train came up in a minute we got in. We started looking at the stations it was stopping at but Nara was not coming. We realised we were on the wrong train and got out at the next station. By then we had travelled some six stations away.
We asked local youngsters standing in line at the station, they consulted their phone and told us to go to platform 5 or 6 and take the next train to Yamatosaidaiji. So we backtracked and reached Yamatosaidaiji.
Now we just had to take the train to Nara, the kintetsu train. And Nara Express came in a minute and we got in, reached Nara the next station.
We realised we had made another mistake and taken the Jr Express for which we did not have ticket. They are two different companies and we had taken a free ride. Our kintetsu ticket was not getting recognised at the JR gates and we were unable to get out.
We approached the staff, showed us our tickets and explained we had taken the wrong train, the man was kind and buzzed us out, probably because we were dumb tourists, had not tried to cheat the system but made a genuine mistake; it was very kind of him.
This put us in the JR station which we had tried to avoid but we were anyway grateful for reaching Nara. We took the local bus and got down at the Isuien gardens instead of travelling to the shrine, so anyway we were able to handle our mistake and the rest of the day went smooth.
Isuien Garden
Isui-en (依水園, Isuien) has been preserved since its creation in the Meiji era.
Isuien means "garden founded on water", and the garden's name is derived from the fact that its ponds are fed by the small adjacent Yoshikigawa River. The Yoshikien Garden is located just on the other side of the river.
Isuien is divided into two parts, a front garden and a rear garden, with a number of tea houses scattered throughout. The front garden has a longer history, dating back to the mid 17th century. The rear garden, the larger of the two, is more recent and was built in 1899 by a wealthy merchant.
This is the house of the Hyoshin-tei, along with the west pool,
Todaiji Temple's Nandaimon Gate and Mount Wakakusayama seen in the pic below is "borrowed scenery" adding to the beauty.
water mill
MUSEUM:
Next to the garden and included with admission is a small museum displaying pottery, seals, mirrors and other artifacts from ancient China and Korea from the collection of the family that owns Isuien
Yoshiki-en (吉城園)
Yoshiki-en (吉城園) is a lovely garden to the immediate southwest of Isui-en.
Adjacent to Yoshiki-en flows the Yoshiki River (宣寸川 or 吉城川)
Japanese iris
Tōdai-ji (東大寺, Todaiji temple [738 CE]
we walked to Todai ji from the gardens.
Tōdai-ji (東大寺, Todaiji temple, "Eastern Great Temple") is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, Its Great Buddha Hall (大仏殿 Daibutsuden) houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana
Along the approach to Todaiji stands the Nandaimon Gate, a large wooden gate watched over by two fierce looking statues. Representing the Nio Guardian Kings, the statues are designated national treasures together with the gate itself.
Nandaimon (Great South Gate)
The existing Nandaimon (Great South Gate) was constructed at the end of the 12th century based on Daibutsuyō style, after the original gate was destroyed by a typhoon during the Heian period.
These are the dancing figures of the Nio, the two 8.5-metre-tall (28 ft) guardians at the Nandaimon,
The Nio are an A-un pair known as Ungyo, which by tradition has a facial expression with a closed mouth, and Agyo, which has an open mouthed expression
Tengai-mon
The Tengai-mon gate is also a National Treasure (8th century)
DEERS
Tame sika deer (also known as spotted deer or Japanese deer) roam through the town, especially in Nara Park. begging for shika senbei, special crackers for deer that are sold for 200 yen.
Legend says the Shinto god Takemikazuchi, god of thunder, who was born from the blood on the sword that severed the head of the god of fire, arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital. Since then, the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country.
Some deer have learned to bow in order to receive senbei from people
Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall)
The principal image of Todaiji Temple is the world largest gilt bronze statue of Vairocana . In 752, the ceremony for opening the eyes was conducted.
Vairocana means the sun or light in Sanskrit, and is the founder of Avatamsaka Sutra. Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai) is regarded as the Primordial Buddha of the universe
Dimensions of the Daibutsu [BIG BUDDHA]
Height: 14.98 m (49 ft 2 in)
Face: 5.33 m (17 ft 6 in)
Eyes: 1.02 m (3 ft 4 in)
Nose: 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in)
Ears: 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)
The statue's shoulders are 28 meters across and there are 960 curls atop its head. The Birushana Buddha's golden halo is 27 m (87 ft) in diameter with 16 images each 2.4 m (8 ft) tall.
Recently, using x-rays, a human tooth, along with pearls, mirrors, swords, and jewels were discovered inside of the knee of the Great Buddha; these are believed to be the relics of Emperor Shomu.
The statue weighs 500 tonnes
The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha is flanked by two Bodhisattvas.
This is Koumokuten whose piercing eyes see through evil
this is Bishamonten (or Tamonten) the god of wealth and treasure who hears everything, heals illness, and expels evil.
Fudō Myō-ō, in Japanese Buddhist mythology, the fierce form of the Buddha Vairocana
the pagoda model
Nyoirin-kannon
A supporting post in the Daibutsuden has a hole, the same size as one of the Daibutsu's nostrils. Legend has it that those who pass through it will be blessed with enlightenment in their next life.
Yakushi Nyorai... Healing Buddha:
In his left hand, he holds a small jar of medicine or a magical healing emerald Chintamani. Right hand shows the ABHAYA MUDRA... don't fear gesture.
Life size replica of Buddha's hands...
After visiting the shrine we visited the museum.
Tōdai-ji Museum
Then we dodged the aggressive deers and walked to the Nara National Museum.
Nara National Museum
There are these lovely demos of how
wooden statues are made with all the different stages. The different
mudras hand gestures of Buddha are also explained
We had our picnic meal with us but really had to put a distance from the numerous deers which were hungrily nosing around for food. We walked to the kintetsu train station, on the way, we had our sandwiches.
NARA KINTETSU TRAIN STATION
We had made plans to get down at Uje but decided we were too tired for that. We bought tickets direct to Kyoto on the limited express and went to our apt
We had bought this ice cream three cups of chocolate flavour and three cups of green tea. Both were just so so.
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