Todai-ji Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall)

Located in Nara, present-day Todai-ji Temple is the head temple of the Kegon school of Buddhism and one of Japan’s most significant historical sites. It was established in the 8th century by Emperor Shomu to serve as the central provincial temple, as a national project intended to secure peace and prosperity through the power of Buddhism. The temple’s Great Buddha Hall was twice destroyed by fires during major conflicts in 1180 and 1567, but was rebuilt in the subsequent Kamakura and Edo periods.
The temple’s icon is the Vairocana Buddha, a designated National Treasure standing at a height of nearly 15 meters. This awe-inspiring statue is housed in the Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha Hall), a masterpiece of traditional architecture and the world’s largest-scale wooden building. The current hall dates to an Edo-period reconstruction in 1709 and is smaller than the original. In front of the hall stands an exquisite bronze octagonal lantern, an original artifact that remarkably survived both fires. Despite various repairs throughout its history, it still retains its original appearance.
Today, Todai-ji Temple stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It remains an active religious center and a significant destination for experiencing the monumental scale of Nara-period imperial projects.