Kasuga+Shrine,+Nara

I bet this new added photo put a smile on your face just by making you remember the four shrines we visited on this rainy day and the many deers we saw! In case you have a blur of shrines, deers, puddles, and umbrellas in your brain, Kasuga Shrine was the last one we visited in the "Leavell's Death March Day" in Nara, and in my opinion, it was the most beautiful too! I forgot that Dr. Leavell informed us in his itinerary info that we were not getting there through the main entrance (south gate), since we walked there from neighbor shrines, and was anxiously looking for the "long pathway intended to give the visitor time to prepare for worship" and the Temizuya (water fountain and basin in a deer shape) in vain, what made me a little confused (no worries, we saw it on our way out and I think that the purification basin was the most beautiful and prominent I saw in all the shrines and temples I visited in China and Japan!) Was it just because we saw (and some of us pet, fed, or had some level of "body contact" - intentionally or not) with dozens of deers in Nara? Walking among deers and lanterns, and seeing all the beautiful metal and stone lanterns, I could not help but imagine how spectacular it must be with all the lanterns lit and also how many people they probably need to help light it all! I could not help but imagine that it must be a very "special" day for Nara's firefighters too! It is amazing that they still lit it all despite the risk! I think it shows how honoring their ancestors is taken very seriously. (I doubt we would be keeping this tradition in the US, just for the sake of the historical shrine and trees...) :-) I was waiting for the "Obon Mantoro" (the festival when the 3,000 + shrine's lanterns are lit at once) to add my impressions on this page, but it is only on August 14-15, so I may add some "post-post" impressions here later... I felt energized and in peace after visiting Kasuga Shrine, despite feeling tired and sweaty. Visiting Kyoto and Nara gave me a much better understanding of Japanese culture, and a magnified interest of studying Buddhism and Shinto. Hiroshima was overwhelming and unforgettable, and walk by the Shugendo group and watching their prayers by the Peace Monument brought emotions that I can't explain. I am confident that I can teach about Japan much better now and I am very thankful for the opportunity to travel to Asia with NCTA. For me it was a life changing experience! == PS: After almost three weeks back home, I still having problems to sleep (can't blame it on jet leg anymore, it is just that my brain is overload and still processing all what I saw and experienced in China and Japan!) and I crave the amazing Japanese food all the time! Sushi, sashimi, miso-shiro and all the miso soups, green tea, daifuku - the bean filled little cakes, the very sweet fresh fruits, the corn soup, kakigori - the huge green tea snow cone I got in Kyoto, etc, are what I crave all the time, and of course I can't find (or afford) the same freshness and variety of Japanese cousine here in the US! HELP! :-) PS2: Please Jim Leavell, since you visited Kasuga Shrine during the festival, tell me: do they light the lanterns all __at once__, really?! PS3: I found a nice clip on YouTube about the lantern festival (mostly @ Kasuga, but some images are from another places). Enjoy it:
 * =Reflections of our visit to Kasuga Shrine (and Japan in general), by Monica Ferrari =

    = = =Kasuga Shrine, Nara= We will visit one of the best Shinto shrines in Japan, the **Kasuga Grand Shrine** (or **Kasuga Taisha**). Kasuga Taisha is Nara's most celebrated shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city. Originally the royal shrine of the powerful Fujiwara family, Japan's most powerful family clan during most of the Nara and Heian Periods. Kasuga Grand Shrine was founded in 768 and, according to Shinto concepts of purity, was torn down and **rebuilt every 20 years** in its original form until 1863. Since virtually all empresses hailed from the Fujiwara family, Kasuga Shrine enjoyed a privileged status with the imperial family.

In the later half of the Heian period (794-1185), Kasuga Shrine was united with [|Kofukuji Temple] under the new theology of Kami-Buddha Fusion. This interfaith alliance lasted until the Meiji restoration (1868-1912), when the government established Shinto as the state religion and ordered the separation of Buddhism and Shinto.

What to See
Nestled in the midst of verdant woods, Kasuga Taisha is approached via a **long pathway** intended to give the visitor time to prepare for worship. The natural setting is a purposeful part of the sacred site, since Shinto is rooted in nature. The main entrance to the shrine is through the Minamimon (South Gate) and past the Temizuya (**water fountain** and basin), where it is customary to wash your hands. The shrine itself features vermilion-colored pillars and an astounding 3,000 stone and bronze **lanterns**. They were donated over the years by common people as tokens of faith and thankfulness, and used to be lit every night. Now they are only lit a few days each year — see Festivals & Events, below. Kasuga Taisha Shrine is also known for the lovely **wisteria** in its botanical gardens, some of which is hundreds of years old. The wisteria flower is important to this shrine because "Fujiwara" can be read as "field of wisteria." The shrine maidens wear wisteria in their hair. Here, too, you can pay ¥200 for an //onikuji//, a slip of paper on which your **fortune** is written in English. If the fortune is unfavorable, you can negate it by tying the piece of paper to the twig of a tree. The admission charge to the **inner grounds** gets you a closer view of the bronze lanterns and the worship hall. The main buildings of the shrine are the Haiden (Worship Hall), Heiden (Offering Hall), and Honden (Main Hall, which houses the //kami//).

Festivals and Events
The most spectacular time to visit Kasuga Taisha is when all 3,000 of the shrine's **lanterns are lit** at once. This happens only a few days each year, during the festivals of Setsubun Mantoro (February 2-4) and Obon Mantoro (August 14-15). March 13 is the Kasuga Matsuri (Monkey Festival), which features dance performances. Unfortunately there will not be any major events or festivals during our study trip period.

Quick Facts
March 13: Kasuga Matsuri (Monkey Festival) - Gagaku and Bugaku dance performances August 14-15: Obon Mantoro - lantern lighting ||
 * Names: || Kasuga Grand Shrine, Kasuga Taisha, Kasuga Taisha Shrine ||
 * Type of site: || Shinto shrine ||
 * Dates: || Believed to date from c.710; officially founded 768; last rebuilt 1863 ||
 * Location: || Nara Park, Nara, Japan ||
 * Phone: || 0742/22-7788 ||
 * Hours: || Daily 9am-4:30pm (4pm in winter) ||
 * Cost: || Free admission to grounds; inner grounds ¥420 (Are we visiting the inner grounds?) ||
 * Festivals: || February 2-4: Setsubun Mantoro - lantern lighting (6pm)

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The inner buildings of Kasuga Taisha || ||  || The many different lanterns of Kasuga Taisha Beyond the shrine's offering hall, which can be visited free of charge, there is a paid inner area which provides a closer view of the shrine's inner buildings. Furthest in is the main sanctuary, containing many small shrines that display the distinctive Kasuga style of shrine architecture, characterized by a sloping roof extending over the front of the building. The main sanctuary may be viewed from the outside, but not entered. Kasuga Taisha is famous for its lanterns, which have been donated by worshipers. Hundreds of bronze lanterns can be found hanging from the buildings, while as many stone lanterns line the approaches to the shrine. The lanterns are lit twice a year on the occasion of the Lantern Festivals in early February and mid August. Kasuga Shrine's Botanical Garden || Auxiliary shrine || There are over a dozen auxiliary shrines in the woods around Kasuga Taisha, twelve of which are on the path past the main shrine complex and comprise a tour of the twelve lucky gods. These include Wakamiya Shrine, an important cultural property and known for its dance festival, as well as Meoto Daikokusha, which enshrines married deities and is said to be fortuitous to matchmaking and marriage. Located a short walk from the Kasuga Shrine main complex is the **Kasuga Taisha Shinen Manyo Botanical Garden**. This garden displays about 250 kinds of plants described in the Manyoshu, Japan's oldest collection of poems which dates to the Nara Period. A large part of the garden is dedicated to wisteria flowers which usually bloom from late April to early May. The shrine grounds also contain a **Treasure House** near the main complex which displays the shrine's relics. These include two sets of large ornate drums. Additionally, the **Kasuga Primeval Forest**, a sacred old-growth forest belonging to the shrine, covers the mountain behind Kasuga, however, it is closed to the public. Admission ends 30 minutes before closing || PS: prices and operational times differ according to the two resources used. Aren't you glad we have experienced guides? :-) ||
 * Grand Shrine) ||  || # || **5** || of 14 sights ||   ||
 * [[image:http://www.japan-guide.com/g/4102_01.jpg width="400" height="260" align="center"]]
 * [[image:http://www.japan-guide.com/g/4102_07.jpg width="240" height="180" align="center"]]
 * **How to get there** ||
 * [[image:http://www.japan-guide.com/g/4103_02.gif width="590" height="295" align="center"]] ||
 * **Hours and Fees** ||
 * |||| __**Kasuga Taisha**__ ||
 * **Hours:** || 6:30 to 17:30 (7:00 to 16:30 from November through March) ||
 * **Closed:** || No closing days ||
 * **Admission:** || Free (outer area), 500 yen (inner area) ||
 * __**Kasuga Taisha Shinen Manyo Botanical Garden**__ ||
 * **Hours:** || 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from December to February)
 * **Hours:** || 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from December to February)
 * **Closed:** || Mondays from December to February (or the following Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday) ||
 * **Admission:** || 525 yen ||
 * __**Treasure House**__ ||
 * **Hours:** || 9:00 to 17:00 (Admission until 16:00) ||
 * **Closed:** || Closed irregularly for exhibit changes ||
 * **Admission:** || 420 yen ||

Article Sources

 * 1) [|//Frommer's Japan, 7th edition//]//.//
 * 2) [|Kasuga Taisha] - Yamasa Institute
 * 3) [|Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara] - UNESCO World Heritage