Travel
Travel Journal {Nara, Japan}
Kyoto was beautiful, Osaka was fun, but the place that was the MOST memorable for us was in Nara. The 2nd half of our site seeing tour was spent at the Todai-ji Temple and Nara deer park. Having been to many, many, temples and shrines here in Japan, the Todai-ji Temple stood out. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Buddha inside is made from cast bronze and plated in gold and weighs 500 tons.
What took my breath away was not the big Buddha, but the guardians of Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall). Simply stunning to see.
Outside of the Todai-ji Temple is the Nara Deer Park where the Sika deer roam freely. My two boys loved, loved seeing the deer and could not stop giggling. The deer are for the most part friendly. I would not advise feeding them if you have younger kids with you. They are not afraid to come after you when the food is gone looking for more and get a little too close for comfort.
Our last stop in Nara was the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The walkways lined with stone lanterns were beautiful here.
Still more to share from our day trips to the Osaka Castle and Aquarium. 
