Tōdai-ji

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Todai-ji, located in Nara Prefecture, is known by many names such as the world's largest wooden building and home to the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha, central temple of the Kegon school, and the best among Nara's seven great temples. Just as we talk about Bulguksa when mentioning Gyeongju, Todai-ji cannot be omitted when discussing Nara Prefecture. According to records, Todai-ji's predecessor was Kinshoji, built in 728 by Emperor Shomu in memory of his deceased prince. During that period, Japan was suffering from disasters and epidemics, and to provide aid, Kokubunji temples (temples built by the state for the peace and well-being of the nation and its people) were constructed across the country, with Todai-ji as its head temple. Along the path to Todai-ji's main gate, Nandaimon, you can see dozens of deer, typical of Nara Prefecture. A pile of tourists attracts the deer, who follow them, hoping to be fed deer crackers. Nandaimon was rebuilt in the 12th century in the architectural style of the Song dynasty, matching the grand scale of Todai-ji, with two King Kong warrior statues inside that reach 8.5m in height. Passing through and buying a ticket at the middle gate leads to the Great Buddha Hall, where you can enjoy the scent of incense. The hallways connected on either side of the middle gate wrap around the Great Buddha Hall, connecting to the north central gate. The Great Buddha Hall, Todai-ji's symbol, was reconstructed in 1709 after a fire, with dimensions of 57m in length, 50m in width, and 47.5m in height, which is said to be 30% smaller than the original. The 16m tall bronze Buddha statue inside used most of the bronze available to the nation at the time, nearly leading to financial ruin. The contradictions of creating a religious symbol that jeopardized the country's finances during hard times are profound. There are various stones laid on the path to the Great Buddha Hall, representing different countries' participation in the annual Buddhist event hosted by Todai-ji, inviting monks from across Asia. The black stone in the center represents India, the red stones on either side represent China, the light grey next to them represents Korea, and the diagonally laid stones on the outermost part represent the path walked by Japanese monks. While most visitors come to see the Great Buddha Hall, climbing the hill to the east of Todai-ji reveals additional halls, among which Niigatsudo and Sangatsudo are famous. The view of Todai-ji from Niigatsudo is particularly beautiful, attracting visitors. Photos and text by Seo Yeong (@se_0.0)