13 March 2019
Wednesday
Shinkansen High-Speed Train: From Kyoto to Tokyo
Before leaving Kyoto, we went to Nara, the first capital of the empire. The Buddhist pagoda and temples and the colossal Buddha statue have been in this city for over 800 years. Plum blossoms have come out in pink and white. Sakura and pink willows have not blossomed yet. They're supposed to blossom in two weeks’ time. I'm sure that when the sakuras and the willows blossom, visiting this area would be even more fascinating.
As the present emperor resigned and the new emperor will be crowned next May, traditional ceremonies with the Shinto priests have already begun at the places of worship in Nara. But what makes Nara the most pleasant, of course, is the thousands of deer roaming freely in the parks. It was believed that the deer, which had been here for centuries, were sent as a messenger by a Shinto god. Now it is possible to feed the deer.
We were very cold during this trip in Japan. The Japanese are very lightly dressed and do not seem to feel the cold. They must be used to this kind of weather.
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