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Nara

The deer of Nara Park bow for crackers in front of Tōdai-ji, whose Great Buddha Hall is among the largest wooden buildings in the world.

More than a thousand sika deer roam Nara Park and are protected as natural monuments.

A sika deer with tall velvet antlers lies on green grass in Nara Park, Japan, with another deer resting in the background.
Sika deer with large antlers resting in Nara ParkLicense
A close-up portrait of a sika deer's face and tall branching antlers against a blurred green park background in Nara, Japan.
Close-up of a sika deer with tall antlers, Nara ParkLicense
A sika deer wearing a chain leash stands among a resting herd of spotted deer on bare ground in Nara Park, Japan.
Sika deer on a leash among a resting herd, Nara ParkLicense
A weathered wooden guardian statue in ornate armor stands inside the wooden hall of Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan.
Carved wooden guardian statue inside Todai-ji, NaraLicense
A spotted sika deer with antlers rests peacefully against a large engraved stone in Nara Park.
Sika deer resting beside a stone monument in Nara Park, JapanLicense
A man raises his hand to feed a wild sika deer while onlookers pass by in the background of Nara Park, Japan.
Man feeding a wild deer by hand in Nara Park, JapanEditorial use: ask
Groups of visitors and schoolchildren walk toward the massive Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji temple beneath a cloudy sky in Nara, Japan.
Crowds approach the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji, NaraEditorial use: ask