Kasuga Jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Kasuga Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Kasuga featuring historical buildings with bright red columns and cedar-bark roofs. The grounds are lined with hundreds of stone lanterns, and include a long covered walkway with bronze lanterns and a hall illuminated by hundreds of flickering lights.
The shrine was founded in 768 and built by the Fujiwara family, who shaped Japanese history for many centuries. According to legend, the god Takemikazuchi arrived here on a white deer from the north, establishing the sacred connection to this mountain location.
The shrine's four deities, especially Takemikazuchi no Mikoto, are central to its purpose and name. Wisteria flowers, a Fujiwara family symbol, decorate the complex throughout, while sacred deer roam the grounds as living connections to local legend.
The shrine is about 25 minutes on foot from Nara's main train station or accessible by bus. Visitors should know that pets, drones, and smoking are not permitted, and photography is only allowed in certain areas.
Behind the main shrine stands Fujinami-no-ya hall, which glows with thousands of lanterns during the Mantoro Festival in February and August. The ancient Kasugayama Primeval Forest has remained untouched for over a thousand years and wraps the grounds in timelessness rarely found elsewhere.
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