Nara, Japan

November 28, 2025

We took a day trip to Nara, about 45 minutes from Kyoto, to explore Nara Park. Nara Park is known for the large number of deer that are all across the town – in the park, on the sidewalks, in the streets. Deer are considered sacred messengers, so they are respected by locals and tourists.

This is a large temple housing a large seated Buddha – one of the largest wooden buildings in the world!

The deer are very friendly and not shy, so they will let you pet them:

Noodles for lunch!

So many deer!

Nara Park had really beautiful temples nestled into the forest:

I love the cozy aesthetic of these local houses:

I really wanted an authentic matcha tasting, and I was searching for this place I found online but was concerned we were at the wrong place – it turned out to be an amazing tea tasting experience!

Freshly made matcha and a matcha flavored macaron:

Afterwards we celebrated Thanksgiving in Japan with an all-you-can-grab edamame meal – one handful was all the same price.