Once a year, heaven appears in Nara Park.

Two years ago, I heard a conversation of two men. When I was taking photos in Nara Park, two men near me were talking about Sakura - cherry blossoms.  Both of them were in their mid-30s. One of them lived in Nara and guided his friend around the park. He said, "Cherry blossoms here are beautiful. However, there are many places where more beautiful cherry blossoms are. But, look at deer eating fallen petals of Sakura.  This place turns into Heaven! " His friend quietly nodded saying, " Yes, yes. How true it is!"

 

 

I had not been able to write blogs nor to go out to take photos for a long time. Last spring, my husband got cancer. After a surgical operation, he had complications. It took him long time to recover.  Now,  he is slowly getting better.  My blog friends, I thank you  a lot for your warm concerns about me. I was very very glad, but I was too exhausted to do anything.  The above is my first photo taken in Nara Park after a year.  Life is beautiful, isn't it!!

Funny, Stupid, But My Favorite

In Nara Park, there is an unique contest! You will never be able to find like this even if you search for it all over the world.  It is  "Deer Cracker Throwing Contest" which is held a few times a year on the hillside of Mt. Wakakusa, Nara Park where wild deer live and mingle with people.

The participants of the contest throw a bigger deer cracker than usual and compete the distance. But,  you can imagine what will happen as soon as a cracker is thrown. The cracker comes apart and goes into the stomachs of the deer as soon as it lands on the field. It is difficult not only to throw a super-light cracker but also to measure the distance.This contest is very very funny and stupid, but I love it very much!

The first contest of this year was held on 26th January, it was windy day. All day long strong winds blew and violent gusts of winds curled. Sometimes a cracker returned with a strong wind like a boomerang. One woman got the poorest record, minus 5 meters.　The winner  was a man whose record was 36.8 meters. He was awarded with a trophy of deer antlers!

The followings are interesting dramas between people and deer!

In winter, January 2013.
 Glacial winds numb his or her hands. But all of People and deer are enjoying and happy!

 

In summer, August 2012.

           Always before a contest starts, many deer are waiting ! In August, 2012. 

Carps in a pond are half hibernating.

But, in an icy air, the sunlight shows the promise of coming spring.

"Happy Valentine" from the deer with white hearts, in Nara Park.

Autumn Wonderland

In Nara Park(奈良公園), maples and ginkgoes are boasting beautiful autumn colors

 in the thickening dusk. The  deer are going home.

 This year is very very special. Usually leaves of ginkgo trees turn shining  gold at first. Around the time the ginkgo trees are shedding leaves, maple leaves are  turning glorious autumn colors. So it is hard to enjoy both of them together at the best time. But this year we can enjoy both of them at the same time because coldness came earlier.

Is this a wonderful gift from a capricious Goddess of Autumn? The nature is weaving brocades from autumn foliage in myriad of colors. 

There is a Japanese expression "錦秋　Kinshuu" to depict the autumn beautifully decorated with autumn leaves. "錦‐Kin" means "Brocade" and "秋‐shuu" autumn.

In Nara Park.  A ginkgo tree looks like as if it wore crimson maple brocade!!

All photos were taken in Nara Park, Nara and in Jingo-ji Temple, Kyoto. 

In Nara Park,  children are playing with the deer after school.

Here is Jingo-ji temple(神護寺) on Mt. Takao(高雄山) in Kyoto. The mountain and the temple are well-known as popular maple viewing spots.  I did not see ginkgo trees here. I wished  there had been ginkgo trees.

These are the last staircases to the main hall of the temple. 

The maple trees are flaming and reaching their hands to the visitors!

 Nature pleases the eye as well as the palate. 

They are Tenpura of maple leaves, deep-fried maple leaves.
I bought them as a souvenir.

 A body of a car becomes a canvas! Nature is an artist.

The weather of the day when I visited was very bumpy. It rained and the sun appeared, and it rained again and the sun appeared repeatedly. 

But after rain, the shining of the leaves become even more brighter 

and their colors become more profound.

Oh, I found more ”Kinshuu-錦秋” here and there!! Let's enjoy with me!

Over the head

on the ground

In water

In an open-air restaurant  in a Japanese style

After dark

My related blogs are

Sayonara, Autumn leaves

Autumn Flowers in Bloom!

Every rain makes  autumn deeper.

After rain,  Kasuga Mountains are folded in mist and look like an ink-wash painting.

Not yet landscapes are colored with autumn foliage, but a lot of autumn flowers are blooming.

I visited Gango-ji Temple, 元興寺 in Nara-machi.

Cluster amaryllis flowers and Jizo statues

 I have seen the chief priest of this temple taking care of plants many times. Under summer sun, he was stubbing weed and watering flowers.  Maybe, the seasonal flowers are the fruits of his  affection and commitment to them.

Cluster amaryllis flowers are in bloom by stone pagodas and stone statues of Jizo Bodhisattva who is a guardian deity of people, particularly of children.

In Sanskurit, the flowers are called "Manjusaka" (Manjushage  曼珠沙華 in Japaneses) which means celestial flowers.

Although the bulbes of the flowers are toxic, how gorgeous but how serene the flowers are!!  I am enchanted by their subtle elaborateness.

Bush clovers also are blooming in the temple.

"Nostalgic Autumn"(my related blog).  photo was taken in September 2011 in Inabuch.
Last year, I visited Inabuchi, Asuka, Nara Prefecture.
How gorgeous the combination of the paddy fields and Cluster amaryllis flowers is!!.

Nara Park is peaceful as usual.

posing with deer antler hair bands

Glory and Tragedy, tells you the history of this temple with blooming Harushagiku  flowers or coreopsis.
In summer, Nara become Town of Prayers is about  ""Obon(お盆)" and  "Jizo-bon or Jizo-e " festival

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