is a public park located in the city of
Nara,
Japan, at the foot of
Mount Wakakusa, established in 1880. Administratively, the park is under the control of
Nara Prefecture. The park is one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty" designated by the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Over 1,200 wild
sika deer ( or
shika) freely roaming around in the park are also under designation of MEXT, classified as natural treasure. While the official size of the park is about 502
hectare, the area including the grounds of
Todai-ji,
Kofuku-ji, and
Kasuga Shrine, which are either on the edge or surrounded by Nara Park, is as large as 660 ha.