Kasuga Taisha's lantern paths

Kasuga Taisha stands at the eastern edge of Nara Park, at the foot of the sacred forest of Mount Kasuga. The approach climbs through old cedars along paths lined with some two thousand stone lanterns, many green with moss, and the shrine's corridors are hung with around a thousand bronze ones.

The forest light is soft and even — good for portraits on bright days and moody on misty ones. The lantern-lined approach gives depth and quiet, deer wander here too, and the vermilion shrine buildings stand out against the green.

The inner precinct is paid and a place of worship; most photographs happen on the approach. The lanterns are all lit only on a few festival nights a year — check the dates if you want to see them glowing.