Took A Trip To Meet The Deer In Nara
20th April 2023 - New Experience Number 15.
Nara park in Japan is famous for many things, but quite possibly the thing that most people know it for are the wild deer that roam amongst the temples 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, along with a visit to see the snow monkeys in the hot springs!
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 yet elegant temples, a backdrop of Mount Wakakusa, and perhaps one of the most famous attractions in the area; the deer that roam freely amongst it all.
The 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 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
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.
Meeting 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. Not that the deer wouldn’t be nice, but, that because they are wild animals, 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
Vendors sold bags of special crackers to feed to 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.
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.
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, of course it needed to be to house 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!
No Deer-Sasters
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, brazenly stick a nose in handbags and pockets, surround humans who were hiding crackers in their pockets, and it did seem that some deer got a little impatient if they were made to bow one too many times before they got their reward.
You Will Deer-finitely 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.
There are many places where you can see deer in the wild, although it’s unlikely you’ll get quite so close to them. If you want to meet a deer in person, have a look for wildlife parks near you where they may have some less timid creatures.
- To meet the deer in Nara, the nearest train stations are the Kintetsu-Nara Station and the JR Nara Station.
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
- If you do buy crackers, don’t tease the deer with them.
- Don’t feed the deer anything other than the special crackers.
- 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 people will stop to get pictures with the first one they see. Keep moving, it won’t be long until you see another one.
- Remember to take some anti-bac so you can clean your hands after any deer encounters.
- Don’t forget to take your camera!
- Share your experience! If you do meet the deer in Nara I’d love to know how it goes.