Nara! A Relaxing Getaway with Deer and Hot Springs

The moment I pushed open the bamboo fence, I heard the harmonious chime of wind chimes and deer calls. In the courtyard of FUFU Nara, moss carpets the ground like green velvet, a dry landscape garden evokes a Zen-like scene, and the mist from the open-air hot spring mingles with the morning fog. As I stepped barefoot onto the cypress wood floor, the scent of sandalwood gently drifted to my nose. Behind the room's sliding paper doors lies a full-length window. Opening it in the morning, I encountered a herd of deer from Nara Park strolling leisurely, like spirits from the Tale of Genji. When the butler brought me handmade matcha with persimmon leaf sushi, he specifically pointed out the box of deer crackers hidden in the low table: the secret code for conversing with the deer. A five-minute walk leads to the bronze lantern array of Todai-ji Temple, where antlers and eaves reflect a gilded halo in the sunlight. For a private view of the entire maple forest, take the hotel's exclusive shuttle for 15 minutes to the hidden sanctuary behind Kasuga Taisha Shrine. In a century-old teahouse by the stream, an old craftsman is making deer-patterned wagashi using traditional methods. In the evening, take a rickshaw through the old streets of Naramachi. The aroma of soy sauce wafting from the wooden lattice windows belongs to a persimmon leaf sushi shop where locals have been queuing for 30 years.