Kasuga Taisha, Located in the eastern region of the city of Nara, is an ancient shinto shrine dating back to 738 CE. While Although the buildings standing today are not all that old, the shrine is one of the most important shrines in Nara, and sees the most amount of worshipers than any other shrine in the prefecture.
This is because the deity enshrined at Kasuga Taisha is said to be the gaurdian protector over the city, and as such, sees the residents visiting the shrine to pray over the protection of Nara and their home.
There are two main areas to the Kasuga Taisha. You have the outer area, which is just a simple walk through the forest and about a dozen smaller shrines linked to Kasuga Tasiha, and then you also have the inner area, which has the main worship hall. While the outer area is all for free, the inner area has a small admission fee to enter, which is well worth it if you are looking for the full experience.
Previously, Kasuga Taisha underwent a similar treatment to Ise Grand Shrine, and got refurbished every 20 years to maintain both the interior and exterior of the shrine. This practice was however stopped in the late 1800’s, and has since only gotten repairs when needed.
One of the most famous attractions at this shrine are the many lanterns scattered everywhere, lining the pathway as your approach the shrine. The Bronze lanterns are the most interesting out of them as they have a striking resemblance to gold, and therefore easily take to the eye. Most of the lanterns in and around the Kasuga Taisha grounds have been donated by worshipers to shrine. The stone lanterns which line the path to the main shrine building will more than likely have the Kanji of the name of the donor, or something meaningful written in place of their name.
In the same area, you can find the Kasuga Taisha Museum which holds relics, artifacts and literature all related to Kasuga Taisha in some way. Additionally, the walk to and from Ksauga Taisha has the occasional souvenir shop all selling great quality souvenirs for a reasonable price.
The walk to the shrine from the main Torii gate near the road will take you roughly 10-20 minutes depending on how often you stop for photos, or to visit the occasional souvenir shop. Deer are often found along this walkway so make sure you stock up on the deer cooking from the local vendors for only 150JPY. Be careful though, these deer are wild and may get a bit nippy if you are not feeding them fast enough.
Hours and Admission
- 6:00am-6:00pm (April through September)
- 6:30am-5:00pm (October until March)
- 8:30am-4:00pm (Inner Shrine Area)
- 500JPY (Inner Shrine Area)
Access
Kasuga Taisha is located about 10-20 minutes in off on one of the main roads in Nara. You can easily get to it by walking directly right after leaving Kintetsu-nara station – which is the closest station to shrine. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk to the torii gate from the station, bu the walk in is easy and flat for the most part. There is some stairs as you approach the shrine itself but they are pretty easy to get past. Not wheelchair friendly because of the stairs.
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