Kingsley and I were allegedly "training" for a half marathon/ 10K race while in Japan.  We actually only got in about 3 decent runs the entire trip but...we did try.  One of our most memorable runs was in Nara when we ran through the deer park to the Kasuga Grand Shrine.

Originally the royal shrine of the powerful Fujiwara family, Kasuga Grand Shrine was founded in 768 and, according to Shinto concepts of purity, was torn down and rebuilt every 20 years in its original form until 1863. Since virtually all empresses hailed from the Fujiwara family, Kasuga Shrine enjoyed a privileged status with the imperial family.






Nestled in the midst of verdant woods, Kasuga Taisha is approached via a long pathway of stone lanterns intended to give the visitor time to prepare for worship. The natural setting is a purposeful part of the sacred site, since Shinto is rooted in nature.

As we walked/ran along the path up to the shrine we came across an astounding 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns. These lanterns were donated over the years by common people as tokens of faith and thankfulness, and used to be lit every night.