I had heard many stories about the bowing deer of Nara, but I still wasn’t prepared. There are deer everywhere, and they really do nod their heads as people walk past in the hopes that they will be repaid with food and affection. They are not at all like the shy and sweet tempered creatures that we can catch a rare brief glimpse of at forests back in England, but they roam the park freely among the people.
It is amazing to be up close to them, to see them wandering around the shrines and the temples as if they too are sightseeing. And they are not afraid to nudge and chase and buck if they feel they are being short changed!
But the most important moments come from the quiet, when you are away from the crowds and the tourist attractions.
We took ourselves off into the copse, where I curled up deep in the roots of a towering Ichiigati to read my book. And sure enough, in time, I heard a light rustling behind me. Slowly, a mother and her two fawns picked their way through the leaves at my feet. She stopped when she noticed me, such depth in that wide-eyed gaze, and bowed her head before ushering the little ones into the cover of the thicket.