Maybe I'm exposing some big secret, but it's in enough guide books that by now anyone should know.
Nara is known for its temples, one of which holds a very large Buddha statue. I'll bring you those pictures later. But what you will probably see first is the large number of tame wild deer that live in Nara Park and around the temples.
They are quite approachable. In fact, you can buy deer crackers to feed them from several vendors with small tables or carts around the park.
But once the deer know you have food, they will follow you for quite some time! They love the crackers, but even more so, they love human food.
Most visitors to Nara Park are aware, of course. Deer have been known to steal pretty much anything they can ingest - candy, sandwiches, ice cream. They can be pretty brazen and that has led to the posting of several of these signs in the area:
Most of the time, they are calm. But it's important to avoid having food anywhere in their vicinity other than the crackers. And don't tease the deer with the crackers.
But if you play by their rules you can get up close and personal with some wild deer! They aren't soft and fluffy, but you can pet their bodies and get some great photos as you hand-feed a living wild creature.
The deer hang out in Nara Park, around the temples in the hills, and occasionally move around to other areas. The crackers are sold all over the place around the park, and you won't have difficulty finding a vendor.
The Nara deer are the most famous, although I've seen the deer on Miyajima island, and they appeared to be even more eager to be fed.
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