The Maker Speaks
Kasuga Taisha Shrine
The Historic Shrine with Deers
The Historic Shrine with Deers
Hello, everyone. I'm so glad to see you here with me now. Today I am talking about Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara prefecture.
Have you ever heard Kasuga Taisha? We have many shrines named Kasuga all over Japan. Probably, we have about 1,000 or so. They are, in a sense, branches of the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. In other words, the Shrine is the head of them.
Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Source: Kasuga-taisha11bs3200.jpg
from the Japanese Wikipedia
（Photed on July 12, 2008）
The Shrine was built in 768. It means that it has been there for over 1,000 years. Various opinions about the origin are there. Nobody has actually seen them found the Shrine because we have had no Time Machine.
A lot of sightseers have come to the Shrine. Why?
They have stored for over 1,000 years a lot of important cultural assets there. The shrine itself was officially registered as a cultural asset, a part of them was designated a national treasure. It means that the shrine invisibly includes the working of our countless predecessors. I guess many tourists desire to feel a part of the history somehow.
Kasuga Taisha's West Corridor
Source: Kasuga-taisha08bs4592.jpg
from the Japanese Wikipedia
（Photed on July 12, 2008）
Well, in Nara, you will find a lot of deers walk freely there. Do you know why?
Some shrines have a particular animal as a divine messenger. In Ise Jungu, fowls are it. So we can see many fowls walk freely and hear them crow there in Ise Jungu. In Kasuga Taisha Shrine, deers are it. So they treat deers as well as possible there.
Have you ever heard Kasuga Taisha? We have many shrines named Kasuga all over Japan. Probably, we have about 1,000 or so. They are, in a sense, branches of the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. In other words, the Shrine is the head of them.
Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Source: Kasuga-taisha11bs3200.jpg
from the Japanese Wikipedia
（Photed on July 12, 2008）
The Shrine was built in 768. It means that it has been there for over 1,000 years. Various opinions about the origin are there. Nobody has actually seen them found the Shrine because we have had no Time Machine.
A lot of sightseers have come to the Shrine. Why?
They have stored for over 1,000 years a lot of important cultural assets there. The shrine itself was officially registered as a cultural asset, a part of them was designated a national treasure. It means that the shrine invisibly includes the working of our countless predecessors. I guess many tourists desire to feel a part of the history somehow.
Kasuga Taisha's West Corridor
Source: Kasuga-taisha08bs4592.jpg
from the Japanese Wikipedia
（Photed on July 12, 2008）
Well, in Nara, you will find a lot of deers walk freely there. Do you know why?
Some shrines have a particular animal as a divine messenger. In Ise Jungu, fowls are it. So we can see many fowls walk freely and hear them crow there in Ise Jungu. In Kasuga Taisha Shrine, deers are it. So they treat deers as well as possible there.
