The weather forecast were quite bad from late morning so we didn’t wait much, left early and took the bus to Nara park, then walked to Todaiji Temple. We were lucky to get a 15min private guided tour. Our guide Nobu told us about the history of the site and the japanese traditions at the temples, like for example how to wash our hands prior to entering the temples. The bronze Budha statue inside the building is massive -because of the construction technique involving broad casting platform made of sand, the building was built aftervthe status was finished.

No sign of rain yet, we continued our walk in the park, to the Great bell and the Nigatsudo and Sangatsudo halls. Sarah got a nice calligraph there. We took a tea in a nice break room – free for everyone to take a cup of tea, as long as you clean the cup afterward. We went for lunch in a restaurant nearby, with a nice view on a shrine. We all took soup with noodles, great occasion to practice our chopsticks technique.

The rain hadn’t come yet, so we walked to the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, on the other side of the park.