Nara Park deer and Todai-ji Great Buddha

Nara was Japan's capital for most of the 8th century, and the deer in its central park have been treated as sacred messengers of Kasuga Taisha for almost as long. Today more than 1,000 of them roam freely across the lawns, temple grounds and shopping lanes, protected as a national natural monument. A short walk away, Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall shelters a bronze Buddha about 15 metres tall, first dedicated in 752, inside one of the largest wooden buildings ever raised.

Groups set out from Kyoto Station or Osaka Namba, and the 5-hour half day is spent on the park and Todai-ji: through the towering Nandaimon gate, flanked by two carved wooden guardian kings, then into the hall itself. The 4-hour dawn option leaves Kyoto early so you are among the deer before the coaches pull in. For a fuller outing, the 10-hour option pairs Nara with the vermilion torii of Fushimi Inari and the bamboo groves of Arashiyama, in an order the guide settles on the day.

A pack of deer crackers comes with the visit, and the deer know it: hold one up and bow, and many will dip their heads back before nudging for more. They are still wild, so keep paper maps out of reach and give stags room in autumn, when they turn restless. Inside the hall, look for the wooden pillar with a hole at its base said to match the Buddha's nostril; squeezing through is meant to bring luck. Spotted fawns appear in early summer.