🏯 Todai-ji (Great Eastern Temple)
Japan
About This Sacred Site
Todai-ji in Nara is one of Japan's most historically significant temples, housing the Daibutsu — a 15-meter-tall bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha that is the largest of its kind in Japan. The Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) is one of the world's largest wooden structures, despite being only two-thirds the size of the original 8th-century building. Founded by Emperor Shomu in 752 CE, Todai-ji served as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples in Japan. The surrounding Nara Park, with its famous free-roaming deer, adds to the spiritual atmosphere.
Key Facts
- •The Great Buddha (Daibutsu) stands 15 meters tall and weighs approximately 500 tonnes
- •The Great Buddha Hall is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world
- •Founded in 752 CE by Emperor Shomu to protect the nation through Buddhism
- •The temple's Nandaimon (Great South Gate) houses two 8.4-meter-tall guardian statues
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Location
Coordinates: 34.6889, 135.8398
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