Kasuga Taisha is one of the premier ancient shrines built during the Nara period when the capital was at Heijô-kyô. The shrine is home to several key gods brought in from other shrines in the area, but its main deity is Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto, the guardian deity of Nara. It is said that Takemikazuchi-no-Mikoto came to Kasuga Taisha on the back of a white deer, a detail which makes all deer sacred animals by imperial decree. Today, the deer in Nara mostly lounge around Nara Park and sometimes in the middle of roads. Again, these animals are deemed sacred and cannot be harmed in any way, so good luck getting through town if they're blocking the roads. Kasuga Taisha was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

For the casual: 9. For the educated: 9.

Kasuga Taisha is one of the coolest shrines that I visited simply because of the environment. Visiting this shrine is like a great hike. Most of the time visiting the shrine is walking up the path to get to the buildings. The pathway is lined by over 3,000 stone lanterns donated by patrons of the shrine and there are so many in fact that it has more stone lanterns in one location than anywhere else in Japan. Above the walkway are beautiful healthy cypress trees which give you a great reprieve from the summer sun. Once you arrive at the shrine itself, the color palate changes from the greens, browns, and grays of the pathway to the vibrant whites and oranges of the buildings. Visiting the shrine for the most part is free, but the buildings themselves require a ticket. If you were wondering, and I'm sure at least a few of you were, the lanters are lit only twice per year, in August and on the 3rd of February to celebrate the end of winter.