Kasuga Grand Shrine 🦌 and Kōfuku-ji 🏯

Kasuga Grand Shrine is a sacred Shinto religious site. 🌸🌺🌿🍃 The shrine's vibrant colors harmoniously blend with the surrounding natural environment, with its vermillion lacquer, white walls, and cypress bark roofs creating a delightful contrast of hues. 🌄 🌸🌺🌿🍃 The sight of numerous stone lanterns and leisurely deer along the lengthy approach path offers an incredibly soothing experience. 🛤️🦌 Kōfuku-ji is the head temple of the Hosso school of Buddhism and has a history of 1,300 years. 🌸🌺🌿🍃 The temple's National Treasure Museum houses many precious artifacts from the Nara period, making it well worth a thorough visit. 🏛️ The Five-Story Pagoda, 🌸🌺🌿🍃 a national treasure, stands at 50.1 meters tall and is the second tallest wooden pagoda in Japan. It was originally built around 730 AD and has been rebuilt five times. 🌸🌺🌿🍃 The current pagoda dates back to approximately 1426. 🎌 Alas, during this visit, the pagoda was under maintenance, and we only saw the steel scaffolding wrapped around it, 🌸🌺🌿🍃 which was a unique experience in its own right. 🏗️ #NaraAntiquities 📜