deer+park

Nara Park, sometimes known as Deer Park, is located in Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Nara park was created in 1880, by Nara Prefecture. It was created to protect the scared deer found roaming around Nara. There are over 1,200 deers that are found at Nara Park.The park is considered one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty." It is home to the Nara National Museum, where you can see Japan's largest wooden building, which contains an enormous Buddha. The park is also often associated with temples and previously private gardens that are now open to the public.

However, the park is also best known for the free-roaming deer. According to the folkflore, deer are consider to scared due to the visit from of the four gods of Kasuga shrine. When he got there he was invited from kasima, lbaraki and appeared on Mt. Mikasa yama riding a white deer. From that point the deer were considered divine and scare. Killing one of these deer was a capital offense, punishable by death, until 1637. After World War II, the deers were stripped of their sacred status, but are still considered national treasures.