Kasuga Taisha Journal | Sharing Dawn and Dusk with Deities Amidst Three Thousand Lanterns

While tourists at Nara Park chased deer for photos, I walked along the moss-covered path into Kasuga Taisha Shrine. This sacred domain, embraced by primeval forest, felt the May breeze carrying the damp scent of incense and moss. Three thousand stone lanterns stood silently in the mist, the entire shrine like a green boat floating outside of time, carrying 1,260 years of flowing prayers.

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🦌 One-Day Pilgrimage Guide

Transportation: 25-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station, or take the loop bus to "Kasuga Taisha Omotesando."
Hours: Sunrise to sunset. The sacred atmosphere is best experienced in the early morning and at dusk.
Preparation: Three 5-yen coins (a homophone for "good fortune/connection"), and bring the concerns you wish to entrust to the deities.

🌿 Hour of the Rabbit · Sacred Domain Awakens (6:00-8:00 AM)

· Morning Mist at Ichino Torii
Looking back from beneath the vermilion torii gate, the Nara Basin was still steeped in a bluish mist. Lantern-carrying shrine officials passed by, treading on dew, the scent of grass clinging to their silk shoes would linger throughout the entire morning.
· Sunazuri-no-Fuji
On the west side of the corridor, find the 700-year-old wisteria, its drooping blossoms gently sweeping the white sand. The sweeping monk said, "It has heard every recitation of the Manyoshu poets."

💚 Hour of the Snake · Pilgrimage of Light and Shadow (9:00-11:00 AM)

· Light and Shadow at Naoraiden
Passing through the South Gate, adorned with hanging lanterns, sunlight suddenly streamed into the hall through the zelkova lattice windows. Pay attention to the bronze lanterns on the main hall's railing – one of them, inscribed with the Bun'ei era name, was donated by a Southern Song merchant who crossed the sea.
· Deer Fortune Slip Fun
At the Juyosho (amulet office), draw a fortune slip delivered by a sacred deer. If you draw "Great Luck," consider tying a five-colored braided cord at Meoto Daikokusha Shrine. The miko (shrine maiden) will ring the Kagura bells for you, their sound startling the turtledoves on the eaves.

🍃 Hour of the Goat · Exploring Hidden Realms (1:00-3:00 PM)

· Hike through Tobihino
Follow a guide with a cypress fan into the primeval forest behind the shrine, searching for deer antler remnants in the grassland where deities are said to have descended. Fragments of Edo-period pottery offerings are buried in the soil, with fingerprints still visible on their cross-sections.
· Rest at Mizuya Chaya
Sit on the wooden steps by the river and drink Kintaro-jiru (golden dumpling soup), the fragrant scent of mugwort and mochi floating in the ceramic bowl. The proprietress pointed out claw marks on the stream stones: "A raccoon dog really did come to steal offerings last night."

🪔 Hour of the Rooster · Deities Light the Way (5:00-6:30 PM)

· Evening of Mantoro (Lantern Festival)
Before closing, ascend the vermilion corridor and watch the sunset ignite invisible candles in the three thousand stone lanterns one by one. Inside a lantern from the Keicho era, lives a bagworm weaving its web.
· Secret Story of the Eikokai
If it happens to be the 13th of the month, you might encounter a Shinto priest carrying a paulownia wood box to the treasure house to replace the flower offerings. The wind stirred by his robes will jingle the wish plaques on the sakaki trees.

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🎎 Sacred Domain Whispers

· Omamori Innovation: Order a "Deer Boat Omamori" at the Ofuda-sho (amulet office); old amulets can be returned by placing them in a small boat and sending them down the water.
· Sutra Copying Offering: Copy the "Kasuga Sutra" with purple ink in the side hall of Naoraiden; the paper pages are mixed with cedar bark fibers.
· Leaf Letter Legend: Buy an official ema (votive tablet) with a deer pattern at Ukigumo-enchi; a waka poem in Manyogana is hidden on the back.

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"Kasuga Taisha taught me: faith is not about seeking protection, but about the patina that naturally grows on the inner wall of a stone lantern – a luster cultivated through long nights of vigil."