Last updated on July 31st, 2020
Nara Park Introduction
The place I’d like to introduce you to today is the beautiful & serene Nara Park, located outside of Osaka, Japan in the city of Nara. At Nara Park, you will find a peaceful, relaxing vibe, beautiful scenery, and be surrounded by sika deer everywhere (which is pretty awesome!). Mora & I heard about this place and of course saw all of the amazing photos online. So, we had to make sure to check the place out for ourselves while in Japan.
You might be wondering why the deer don’t run away at the sight of humans. The answer is easy; sika deer are protected in Japan. Therefore, these deer do not fear people and actually seem to really enjoy the company. In the U.S., I always like seeing deer when I’m outside early in the morning; however, due to fear of humans from always being hunted, I can never get too close. So, I was really looking forward to being in this type of environment.
At Nara Park, the deer are not cooped up; instead, they can roam free throughout the land. They enjoy being there, so why would they leave? Despite most of the deer having a nice demeanor, please be sure to remember they are still wild animals.
As we roamed around the park, we often saw several deer lying down and taking midday naps together. We didn’t want to disturb them, but we did take a handful of photos.
Feed the Deer?
That’s right; not only can you feed the deer, but it is actually even encouraged! There are vendors set up where you can purchase “deer crackers.” Mora & I bought quite a few of these and had such a great time feeding them.
However, I was surrounded by a handful of deer at one point, and they were a bit more aggressive than the rest of the deer at Nara Park. One deer actually bit me in the side; the bite wasn’t too hard or painful, but it left a bit of a bruise. That deer really wanted his crackers!
Deer Selfies
Have you seen all of the selfies taken at Nara Park and wonder how people are able to get such good photos? Do you wonder if maybe there is someone there to help direct the deer for your photos similar to the viral monkey photos taken in Thailand?
I can tell you for a fact that when we were there, no one was there helping with photos. You pretty much go through the park at your own pace, similar to any other park really. And like humans, the deer also go at their own pace and do as they please.
Like with most animals, you can tell the demeanor and personality very quickly for each deer. We were able to get a lot of great photos, like the one above, but our favorite is the selfie you can see at the top of this post as the featured image. She was so cute and was super kind & gentle. This particular deer stuck with us for a long time, and it was hard for us to say goodbye to such a sweet animal.
Beautiful Scenery
Nara Park is a really peaceful, beautiful place. As a result, I find this to be a perfect place to relax for half a day. If you enjoy going for scenic walks, whether alone, with your significant other, or with friends, this is the place to be.
There is also a temple located in the park for those who wish to visit and look around. I really enjoy looking at different forms of architecture everywhere I visit. While the U.S. goes for a modern look, I personally prefer the older, traditional styles found in Europe & Asia.
Funny Moments at Nara Park
A really funny & memorable moment occurred during our time at Nara Park. A deer actually tried to kiss Mora with me standing right beside them! Don’t believe me? Here’s the photographic proof. Luckily, Mora had her fan to turn down the poor deer. Rejection can be devastating; I hope he learns to cope with this over time.
In addition, we caught another funny moment on camera when it looked like one deer was telling another a joke, with it appearing that the second deer was laughing. The deer here have very entertaining personalities, and I cannot wait to go back the next time we are in Japan.
The last moment we witnessed was a deer trying so hard to scratch an itchy spot on its back; if only we had our back scratcher with us, but alas.
What are your thoughts on Nara Park? Have you ever been? If not, would you be interested in visiting? We would love to hear from you!
As always, please feel free to leave comments/questions as I will be reading each & every one of them and responding. If you want to know something, ask away! Do not hesitate to contact us if you need anything at all or would like to chat! Please hit those follow, share, & like buttons; just don’t eat the apple. Until next time, stay traveling (safely)!
I didn’t go last time I was in Japan…
That’s okay; there’s always next time!
Agree!
That temple is gorgeous!
Agreed! All of Nara Park is super beautiful