Why are Deer in Nara Park
considered Messengers of the God?
During the Nara period (710 - 784), the Fujiwara clan governed the country.
Praying for the prosperity of the capital and the continued power of the Fujiwara clan, they invited a deity called Takemikazuchi no Mikoto from Kashima-jingu Shrine.
Legend has it that Takemikazuchi no Mikoto came to Nara riding a white deer.
The deer in Nara Park are said to be descendants of that white deer, and have been cherished as "messengers of the god" for more than 1,300 years ,ever since.
