The Latterns of Kasuga Taisha
After visiting the temple at Todai-ji we jumped back on the coach and drove a few kilometres through the Deer Park to Kasuga-Taisha. Kasuga Grand Shrine (Kasuga-Taisha) is a Shinto shrine established in 768 AD and rebuilt several times over the centuries, it is the shrine of the Fujiwara family. The path to Kasuga Shrine passes through Deer Park. In the park the deer are able to roam freely and are believed to be sacred messengers of the Shinto gods that inhabit the shrine and surrounding mountainous terrain. The interior of the shrine is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lanterns that lead up the shrine. The 2000 lanterns are only lit twice a year for two festivals in February and August. The walk from the coach park was along the sloping path with trees and stone lanterns on both sides. Sunlight was streaming through the tree tops and hitting some of the lanterns producing a wonderful scene with a lot of cont...