English: Kasuga Grand Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the city of Nara, . Established in 768 AD and rebuilt several times over the centuries, it is the shrine of the Fujiwara family. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lanterns that lead up the shrine.

The path to Kasuga Shrine passes through Deer Park. In Deer Park, deer are able to roam freely and are believed to be sacred messengers of the Shinto gods that inhabit the shrine and surrounding mountainous terrain. Kasuga Shrine and the deer have been featured in several paintings and works of art of the Nambokucho Period. Over three thousand stone lanterns line the way.

In Japan a tōrō is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China; however, extant specimens in that country are very rare, and in Korea they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths. Lit lanterns were then considered an offering to Buddha. During the Heian period (794–1185), however, they started being used also in Shinto shrines and private homes.

The oldest extant bronze and stone lanterns can be found in Nara.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuga-taisha en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tōrō

PUBLISHED: Kyuhoshi (Japan Travel Magazine)

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