Seeing the bowing deer in Nara, Japan
20th April 2023 - New Experience Number 15.
Seeing the bowing deer in Nara park in Japan is definitely worth including in any Japan trip. Amongst the magnificent temples, the wild creatures roam freely and endearingly bow their heads for food.
I’m a sucker for an animal encounter, so when planning our three weeks in Japan, a trip to meet the deer in Nara easily made it onto the itinerary and as one of my 52 new experiences in 2023.
Nara Park
Nara is a beautiful park and is one of the oldest in Japan. Visitors are treated to vast open spaces, peaceful woodlands, huge elegant temples, and a beautiful backdrop of Mount Wakakusa. Yet perhaps one of the most famous attractions in the area are the deer that roam freely amongst it all.
The Deer - Seeing The Bowing Deer In Nara
The deer in Nara are a breed called Sika. They’re sometimes also referred to as Northern spotted deer, or Japanese deer. They were once found in several countries across Asia but are now only seen in Japan where they are happily thriving.
Sacred Animals
Nara deer were highly revered. There was a legend about one of the Gods of the Kasuga Grand Shrine travelling to Mount Wakakusa on a white deer. They were then considered as messengers of the Gods, and anyone killing one of these sacred animals faced a certain death.
After the second world war, the deer became known as national treasures and are still protected creatures today.
When Expectations Are Exceeded - Seeing The Bowing Deer In Nara
There’s always a risk that new experiences won’t live up to expectations. There is so much information available that can influence our thoughts and opinions about things before we’ve even signed up to something.
Seeing the deer in Nara was something I purposefully kept low expectations about. I’d seen and read references to the friendly Nara deer, but I had reservations about it. There was every possibility we might not actually see any.
Perhaps all the things I had read had been overly positive. So as not to be disappointed, I reminded myself there was every possibility that we would not encounter the woodland creatures.
Well, my expectations were knocked out of the park! There were so many deer. Hundreds and hundreds of them! And they did bow, just as I’d seen and read that they would!
Deer Everywhere!
We walked from the train station along the busy shopping area of Sanjo Dori Street into the green park where we immediately spotted a deer. Then another, and another!
Freely roaming across the paths, laying in the grass, or standing in the shade, there was no way we could miss them!
Young deer garnered plenty of attention as they enthusiastically bowed at passers by. Others nodded their head and gracefully took crackers from outstretched hands. Some plucky deer nudged people who could be potential sources of food, and some seemed content to sit and watch the world go by.
Going Crackers - Seeing The Bowing Deer In Nara
Vendors sell bags of special crackers so you can feed the deer. Tiny stalls were dotted all around the park, so there was ample opportunity to pick up a packet. Each sold them at the same price too, so there was no need to shop around.
The deer at Nara are unique and have learned the adorable behaviour of bowing at visitors as a way of asking for food. We saw lots of nodding going on. If the deer saw that people didn’t have any tasty treats they would move on to another potential snack source.
However, they can get a little feisty if you have got food and tease them with it. We saw a few gentle head butts going on, and a couple of noses trying to get into bags!
Not Just Fawning Over Wildlife
You won’t see any fences or cages in Nara. The deer really are wild and free to wander where they choose. We saw them all across the park, even as we explored some of the heritage areas.
Stone lanterns lead our way to the most celebrated shrine in Nara; Kasuga Taisha. We strolled along the peaceful forest path to the striking red and white buildings.
They were adorned with brass lanterns, and beautiful wisteria flowered in shades of purple and blue in the courtyard. Worship and wildlife coexisted harmoniously as the deer delicately stepped around and politely waited for food.
Todaiji Temple
Deer sauntered amongst the visitors along the way to the Todaiji Temple. It was perfect for capturing pictures of them in such a unique setting. Barriers prevented them entering certain areas such as the Big Buddha Hall.
This tremendous black and white wooden building was impressively large. It needed to be, as it houses one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world! It once claimed the title of being the biggest wooden building in the world.
The building that stands there today was built in 1692 and is only two thirds the size of the original structure – it must have been ginormous!
They Don't Really Like To Be Touched -Seeing The Bowing Deer In Nara
Whilst the deer didn’t disagree with a stroke on the back, they didn’t really want a fuss, they just wanted some food.
Most of them seemed very calm and happy to bow for crackers. A couple did appear to have a mischievous glint in their eye though.
There were plenty of warning signs with dramatic illustrations reminding us these wild animals can bite, kick, butt or knock people down. Thankfully we didn’t see any of these behaviours.
However, we did see deer boldly walking into shops, and brazenly stick a nose in pockets, They also got a little impatient if they were made to bow one too many times before they got their edible reward.
You Will Definitely See Some Deer
If you go to Nara Park in the hope of seeing some deer, you will not be disappointed. There are over 1000 deer in Nara, and they really do roam freely everywhere.
Want To Try It Yourself?
To meet the deer in Nara park, you’ll need to visit Nara in Japan.
However, we also met Sika deer on the island of Miyajima near Hiroshima. These deer are equally free roaming and aren’t afraid to approach people, it’s just they are perhaps not as famous as their northern relatives.
- To meet the deer in Nara, the nearest train stations are the Kintetsu-Nara Station and the JR Nara Station.
- Take a look at the Nara Park area guide for more details.
Cost Of Experience
It is free to visit Nara Park.
During our visit in April 2023, a packet of crackers cost 200 yen, which converted to just over £1.
Whilst you can explore some parts of the temples and shrines in the park for free, there are additional costs to enter some areas.
We paid 500 yen each to visit the Big Buddha Hall which was equivalent to £2.75. It was definitely worth it to see the monumental statues.
Recommendations
- Don’t tease the deer. Especially if you do buy crackers.
- Don’t feed the deer anything other than the special crackers.
- Show empty hands. If a deer bows to you and you don’t have food, show it your empty hands and it will move on
- Be patient. The deer are obviously a big crowd pleaser and many will stop to get pictures with the first one they see. Keep moving, it won’t be long until you see another one.
- Don’t forget your hand sanitizer. Remember to take some anti-bac so you can clean your hands after any deer encounters.
- Don’t forget to take your camera! Make sure your battery is fully charged before you go too.
- Share your experience! If you do meet the deer in Nara I’d love to know how it goes.
- Have a great time!