Kasuga Taisha

Top choice in Nara

LoginSave

Founded in the 8th century, this sprawling shrine at the foot of Mikasa-yama was created to protect the new capital, Nara. It was ritually rebuilt every 20 years, according to Shintō tradition, until the late 19th century and is still kept in pristine condition. Many of its buildings are painted vermilion, in bold contrast to the cedar roofs and surrounding greenery. The corridors are lined with hundreds of lanterns, which are illuminated during the twice-yearly Mantōrō lantern festival.

Every morning at 9am (except for festival days), the public is welcome to observe the chōhai (morning prayer service), held in the Naoraiden (Ceremony Hall).

There are several subshrines around the main hall. It's worth walking a few minutes south to the nearby subshrine of Wakamiya-jinja.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Vendors prepare chestnuts to sell at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, Japan on 22 November 2016. 1011566827 traditional, street, asian, nutrition, priest, tourism, fruit, editorial, cooking, design, east, tradition, chinese, famous, stall, recommend, sale, asia, vendor, nut, cuisine, chef, color, people, culture, food, castanea, healthy, place, chestnut, travel, vegetable, market, business, tourist, architecture, marron, buy, furniture, decoration, colorful, merchant, city, nishiki market, japan, street food, japanese, sell, kyoto, shop

    Nishiki Market

    22.81 MILES

    The covered Nishiki Market (Nishiki-kōji Ichiba) is one of Kyoto’s real highlights, especially if you have an interest in cooking and dining. Commonly…

  • Osaka, Japan - April 30, 2017: tourists looking Osaka city at Abeno Harukas, the tallest skyscraper in Japan. The building stands on top of Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station near JR Tennoji Station. 919551970 Abeno Harukas Observatory

    Abeno Harukas

    19.18 MILES

    This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…

  • Path through bamboo forest

    Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

    25.19 MILES

    The thick green bamboo stalks seem to continue endlessly in every direction and there’s a strange quality to the light at this famous bamboo grove, which…

  • ktoyo,japan - May 21,2018 : Mt.Hiei-zan Enryaku-ji Temple in Kyoto,Japan.Enryaku-ji Temple was founded by the priest Saicho In 788.

    Enryaku-ji

    29.97 MILES

    Located atop 848m-high Hiei-zan (the mountain that dominates the skyline in the northeast of the city), the Enryaku-ji complex is an entire world of…

  • Horyuji Temple, Nara, Japan

    Hōryū-ji

    7.87 MILES

    Hōryū-ji was founded in 607 by Prince Shōtoku, considered by many to be the patron saint of Japanese Buddhism. It's renowned not only as one of the oldest…

  • Kiyomizu or Kiyomizu-dera temple in autum season at Kyoto Japan 391009933 architecture, asia, autumn, buddhism, buddhist, color, culture, dera, fall, heritage, japan, japanese, kiyomizu, kiyomizu-dera, kyoto, landmark, nature, red, religion, religious, shinto, shrine, temple, tourist, travel

    Kiyomizu-dera

    21.92 MILES

    A buzzing hive of activity perched on a hill overlooking the basin of Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is one of Kyoto's most popular and most enjoyable temples. It…

  • People walking under thousands of Torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. 88375702 destination, historical, gate, cultural, oriental, approaching, red, kyoto, culture, landmark, attraction, history, thousand, walking, orange, corridor, shintoism, pathway, people, traditional, asia, tour, building, religious, tourist, historic, heritage, tradition, architecture, tourism, religion, shintoist, shinto, spot, tunnel, japanese, japan, fox, shrine, road, senbon dorii, senbon torii, fushimi, kansai, taisha, torii, senbon, inari, kinki, 1000

    Fushimi Inari-Taisha

    20.14 MILES

    With seemingly endless arcades of vermilion torii (shrine gates) spread across a thickly wooded mountain, this vast shrine complex is a world unto its own…

  • Todai-ji Temple, Nara

    Tōdai-ji

    0.68 MILES

    Nara's star attraction is its Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze statues in the world. It was unveiled in 752, upon the completion of the…

View more attractions

Nearby Nara attractions

1. Ni-no-Torii

0.11 MILES

A large ceremonial Shintō shrine gate within the shrine precincts of Kasuga Taisha.

2. Wakamiya-jinja

0.17 MILES

A subshrine of Kasuga Taisha, founded in 1135 and reconstructed in 1863.

3. Tamukeyama-hachimangū

0.48 MILES

South of Nigatsu-dō and Sangatsu-dō is this historic shrine dedicated to the Shintō god of war and protector of Japan.

4. Hokke-dō

0.55 MILES

Also known as Sangatsu-dō (三月堂), this is the oldest building in the Tōdai-ji complex, dating to the mid-8th century. Inside are 10 statues from the Nara…

5. Tōdai-ji Nandai-mon

0.57 MILES

The great south gate of Tōdai-ji contains two fierce-looking Niō (guardians). These recently restored wooden images, carved in the 13th century by famed…

6. Nigatsu-dō

0.58 MILES

Climb the lantern-lined staircase to Nigatsu-dō, a National Treasure from 1669 (originally built c 750). Though the interior is private, the verandah has…

7. Tōdai-ji Museum

0.6 MILES

The most recent building on the grounds of Tōdai-ji is the contemporary museum built to display more of the temple's important artwork and relics.

8. Isui-en & Neiraku Art Museum

0.64 MILES

Isui-en is an elegant garden in two parts: one created in the 17th century, in the style of an Edo-period (1603–1868) strolling garden, and another added…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "japan/kansai/nara/attractions/kasuga-taisha/a/poi-sig/488074/356700",
  "destination": "Nara",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Japan",
  "city": "Nara",
  "position": "superzone"
}