Kasuga Taisha is a Shinto shrine in Nara Park, founded in 768 to protect the new capital of Nara. Its approach is lined with more than 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns, and its vermilion buildings contrast with the cedar roofs and the green forest around them. Deer wander the grounds, as they do across the park. Give time to the inner courtyard, where the red architecture and lantern-hung corridors are at their most striking, and to the forest behind the shrine.
From 768 to the 19th century
The shrine was founded in 768, during the years when Nara was Japan's capital. The Fujiwara clan, one of the most powerful families of the Heian period, was closely tied to it, and its deities are linked to that family.
According to Shinto custom, the shrine was rebuilt every 20 years. The practice continued until the late 19th century, and the buildings are still kept in very good condition.
Architecture and the lanterns
Many of the buildings are painted vermilion, and their roofs sit above white walls and cedar. The style is known as Kasuga-zukuri, and the main courtyard has sloping roofs, gold decoration and vermilion pillars.
More than 3,000 lanterns are placed along the paths and inside the shrine. The stone lanterns are often covered in moss, while the bronze lanterns hang from the eaves and roofs. Many of them carry deer motifs. The lanterns are lit during the Mantōrō lantern festivals, held twice a year in February and August.
Inside the inner courtyard
A small fee gives access to the inner courtyard, which is where the red architecture is most striking. Corridors of lanterns run between the buildings, and more lanterns hang from the overhanging roofs of each one.
The shrine has one of the oldest torii gates in the Shinto tradition. Its design is said to have inspired similar gates across Japan.
The forest and the sacred mountain
Kasuga Taisha sits at the foot of Mount Kasuga, which is considered sacred. Cutting trees on the mountain has been forbidden for more than 1,000 years, and hunting and logging were banned in 841.
The forest was closed to the public until after the Second World War, which helped keep its plants and animals intact. Ancient evergreen oaks and beech trees grow there, and the forest stays dark even during the day. Rare residents include the forest green tree frog, the hime-haru cicada and the clouded salamander. A nature trail runs through the forest, and a loop route links the shrine with Mount Wakakusa.
The deer and the legend
According to legend, the deity Takemikazuchi no Mikoto rode into Nara on a deer from Kashima Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture. For this reason, the deer in Nara Park are seen as messengers of the gods, and they have been protected for centuries.
Vendors in the park sell crackers that visitors can hold out to feed the deer.
Visiting the shrine
The shrine is about 1 km southeast of Todai-ji Temple, and the walk between them passes through the park. In autumn, the forest around the shrine turns to bright red and gold leaves, which makes it a popular time for photographs.
If it rains, the Nara National Museum is a good stop nearby. Each December, a festival at the shrine begins its main ceremony at midnight, when the god is carried through the dark behind sakaki branches, with priests singing and playing music.
Häufige Fragen
Is there an entry fee?
The outer grounds are free to enter. The inner courtyard has a small entry fee.
When are the lanterns lit?
The lanterns are lit during the Mantōrō lantern festivals, held in February and August.
Can you hike behind the shrine?
Yes. A nature trail runs through the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, and a loop route links the shrine with Mount Wakakusa.
Why are there deer in Nara Park?
Legend says the deity rode to Nara on a sacred deer. The deer are seen as messengers of the gods and have been protected for centuries.
