This sprawling shrine lies at the foot of a hill in a deeply wooded setting with herds of sacred deer awaiting handouts. Its pathways are lined with hundreds of lanterns, with many hundreds more in the shrine itself. They're illuminated in the twice-yearly Mantōrō lantern festivals, held in early February and mid-August.
Kasuga Taisha was founded in the 8th century by the Fujiwara family and was completely rebuilt every 20 years, according to Shintō tradition, until the end of the 19th century.
There are several subshrines around the main hall. It's worth walking a few minutes south to the nearby shrine of Wakamiya-jinja .
