My favourite city in Japan, and the one place I recommend to anyone who tells me they’re visiting the area. I love animals, all animals, and I’m also not a huge fan of zoos, so places like this where animals roam free but also peacefully coexist and even interact with humans is my idea of heaven. There’s just a few important things to bear in mind before you go.

The deer can be a little aggressive

These animals are very comfortable and very used to the presence of humans, and they’re also very smart. They know how to get what they want and what they want is food. You can buy crackers in the park which are ideal to feed them, but if you have food or anything that resembles food in your pockets or bag, they’ll probably try to steal that too. I had one deer steal a map right out of my pocket, and another try to ram me out of the way to try to get it’s (hands?) on my backpack. They warn you to protect small children because being rammed by a deer is not a rare occurrence. Around 164 people a year are injured by these deer so as much as you may want to get a close as possible to them, remember that they’re still wild animals and their instinct will be to defend and protect themselves.

Bow to the deer

You’ll notice people bowing to the deer, and strangely you’ll also see the deer bowing back (bowing is a common social action in Japan, people often bow slightly when they meet each other). This is a sign of respect and mutual understanding. For many years the Sika deer here are considered sacred messengers of the gods and they’re very important to the Japanese people so it is only natural that they will want to treat them well (there’s instances of people being jailed for killing the deer here). The deer have learned that by bowing when they meet someone, the person will often give them food. So bowing three times to the deer, and having them bow back before you give them something to eat is a way to help keep this very sweet tradition going.

Obviously, be respectful the animals and the park

Don’t leave litter or anything else lying around. As I said. the deer are thieves and will try to steal things, this includes trash, and if they eat something they’re not supposed to it can really make them ill. In Japan , dropping litter it’s not acceptable in general, the people really take care to keep their streets clean and tidy, so it’s not only disrespectful to the animals and other wildlife, its also disrespectful to the people and the country as a whole - I’m not kidding, they take it very seriously.

It can be very crowded in some areas and perfectly idyllic in others

When you first arrive at the main entrance, depending on the time of day, it’s going to feel like a pure tourist trap, and that can be a put off for a lot of people, but remember that Nara Park is a huge 1200 acre piece of land, with lots of space to explore. So if you’ve got the time, I recommend taking a walk of the grounds, away from the crowded area, where you’re more likely to have a peaceful one on one interaction with the deer, and get some photos without worrying about the other people getting in the way. The park itself is very beautiful, so you’re not missing out by seeing more of it.

While you’re there, visit the temple

Now this place is crowded and the only way to avoid the crowds is to go very early in the morning. However, if you like temples and traditional Japanese culture then its worth it. Todaiji temple is one of Nara’s other biggest tourist attractions, home to the Big Buddha Hall , the world’s largest wooden building, and inside you’ll find one of Japan’s largest bronze Buddha statues. at 15 metres tall. Buddhist people visit this temple to pray so although you’ll see many tourists going around it’s important to still show respect to the people by being quiet and non disruptive, as it is ultimately a place of worship.