Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Taisha is a shrine located in Nara Park with over 1,300 years of history and is registered as a World Heritage Site. It is said that the then emperor of Japan built the shrine in order to protect the area in which he lived and also to pray for the happiness of his people. The shrine is famous for its large number of traditional “toro,” or lanterns. Of these lanterns, around 2,000 are made of stone and another 3,000 made of metal! Every year in February and August, the lanterns are lit all over the grounds of the shrine during festivals creating fantastic and mysterious scenes. In order to see the entire shrine grounds, be sure to pay the special admittance fee at the reception desk located to the right just after entering the southern gate.

(Source: ふくいのりすけ / PIXTA(ピクスタ))

Main Hall

Four different deities are enshrined in the main hall, so there are four separate shrines contained in the hall for each respective one. When you pay the special admittance fee at the reception desk, you can go all the way to the inner gate that is built just before the main hall. Hanging by the large 10 meter inner gate are many lanterns which are a must see!

(Source: セーラム / PIXTA(ピクスタ))

Fujinaminoya

Rest assured all those who came looking for the famous lanterns to be lit up! Located at the northern side of the shrine grounds is Fujinaminomiya where you can find many beautiful lanterns glowing in the darkened rooms! Please be sure to see this famous site on your visit to the shrine!

(Source: はりさんの旅日記)

Meoto Daikokusha

Located just outside a short walk from the southern gate is a building called Meoto Daikokusha. Here is a rare shrine said to bless its visitors’ marriage and match-making desires. One can read their “love fortune” by writing wishes on ema (small wooden plaques), and tossing them into the water, reading the results by the floating of the ema. You can choose cool heart ema!