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Tōdai-ji, temple of the Great Buddha in Nara
A great Buddhist temple in Nara founded in the eighth century by Emperor Shōmu. It is famous for its bronze Great Buddha, about fifteen meters tall, housed in the Great Buddha Hall, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.
東大寺の大仏。
The Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji.
Common expressions
- 奈良の大仏: the Great Buddha of Nara — the everyday way to refer to its main image
- 大仏殿: the Great Buddha Hall
- お水取り: the fire-and-water rite held at its Nigatsu-dō hall each March, said to herald spring in Nara
Cultural note
Emperor 聖武天皇 ordered the Great Buddha in the 740s as a state project to protect the country, and it was dedicated in 752. The temple is part of a World Heritage site and, with the deer of nearby Nara Park, a standard stop on school trips.