Tōdai-ji Temple

Overview

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex in Nara, Japan, and the head temple of the Kegon school of Buddhism, enshrining the great bronze Buddha Vairocana known in Japanese as the Daibutsu. Founded in the 8th century under Emperor Shōmu, it was positioned as the central temple among the provincial temples he established across the country. In 1998 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara."

Highlights

• ●The Great Buddha Hall houses one of the world's largest bronze Buddha statues, the Daibutsu, cast in the Nara period.
• ●Once counted among the powerful Seven Great Temples (Nanto Shichi Daiji), the complex carries a distinguished history.
• ●The present Great Buddha Hall was rebuilt at a reduced scale in 1709 during the Edo period, after the earlier great precinct that included two seven-storied pagodas was lost.
• ●Beyond the Great Buddha Hall, the grounds preserve halls such as the Hokke-dō and Nigatsu-dō, along with the Shōsōin.

History

Construction was carried out under Emperor Shōmu in the 8th century, and though founded in 738, the temple was opened in 752. It served as the central provincial temple among more than sixty established across the land. The complex underwent several reconstructions; a major one to the Great Buddha Hall took place in 1709, and after nearing collapse the hall was restored between 1904 and 1913 and reinforced with steel framing between 1974 and 1980.

Map

34.6892, 135.8397 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Enter the precinct through the great gate
2. 2View the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) in the Great Buddha Hall
3. 3Walk to nearby halls such as the Hokke-dō and Nigatsu-dō
4. 4Conclude by looking over the Shōsōin and surrounding historic sites

Did you know?

💡 The form and architecture of Tōdai-ji's Great Buddha and its hall are said to have influenced later great Buddhas and their halls built elsewhere in Japan.

Nearby spots