A famous tourist spot of Nara which is a Japanese ancient city is Todai-ji Temple.
This is famous spot as a destination of the school excursion of the Japanese student.
There are a lot of buildings appointed to a national treasure, and there is Great Buddha of Nara.
In addition, the whole of Todai-ji Temple is designated as Michelin green guide ★★★.
Contents
- About World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’
- About Todai-ji Temple
- Highlights of Todai-ji Temple
- Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) of Todai-ji Temple
- How to get to Todai-ji Temple
1.About World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’
8 places of temples, shrines and Special Natural Monument of Nara are designated as ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’.
↓Details of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara” is here.↓
2.About Todai-ji Temple
Tōdai-ji (東大寺, Eastern Great Temple) is a Buddhist temple complex, that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall (大仏殿 Daibutsuden), houses the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu (大仏). The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCOWorld Heritage Site as one of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara“, together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in the city of Nara. Deer, regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, roam the grounds freely.
引用(citation):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Ddai-ji
In Todai-ji Temple, 8 buildings and 23 art objects are appointed to a national treasure.
Todai-ji Temple is really a treasure house of national treasures. d(*ﾟーﾟ*)
3.Highlights of Todai-ji Temple
There is a lot of highlight in Todai-ji Temple. I introduce to you the representative building.
- 東大寺南大門(Nandai-mon gate of Todai-ji Temple)
- 東大寺大仏殿(Todai-ji Temple Daibutsu-den Hall)
- 正倉院(Shosoin Treasure House)
- 東大寺二月堂(Todai-ji Temple Nigatsu-do Hall)
- 東大寺四月堂(Todai-ji Temple Shigatsu-do Hall)
- 東大寺三月堂(Todai-ji Temple Sangatsu-do Hall)
●東大寺南大門(Nandai-mon gate of Todai-ji Temple)
Nandai-mon gate of Todai-ji Temple designated as a national treasure and Michelin green guide ★.
The current building was rebuilt in 1199 of the Kamakura era. There is the history more than 800 years.
Because Todai-ji Temple is the head temple of the Kegon sect, the signboard of “大華厳寺(the large Kegon sect temple)” is set.
I feel the history very much…
Wooden statues of Deva King designated as a national treasure and Michelin green guide ★★.
●東大寺大仏殿(Todai-ji Temple Daibutsu-den Hall)
Todai-ji Temple Daibutsu-den Hall (the Great Buddha hall) is designated as a national treasure and Michelin green guide ★★.
This is the 中門(central gate) built between the main gate and the main house of the palace-styled architecture in the Fujiwara period of the Hall of the Great Buddha.
A corridor around the Hall of the Great Buddha.
The Hall of the Great Buddha is world maximum-scale wooden building, and it was rebuilt in 1709.
This is designated as a national treasure and Michelin green guide ★★.
too big!
The great statue of Buddha which is a national treasure is got close to as popular name “Great Buddha of Nara”.
There is a height of about 15m.
“虚空蔵菩薩(Akasagarbha Bodhisattva)” is enshrined in the left side of the great statue of Buddha.
“如意輪観音(the Bodhisattva of Compassion)” is enshrined in the right side of the great statue of Buddha.
This is the 廣目天(Virupaksa) of a guardian deity protecting West.
This is the 多聞天（毘沙門天）(Vaisravana) of a guardian deity protecting East.
●正倉院(Shosoin Treasure House)
Shosoin Treasure House was a warehouse of Todai-ji Temple which stored up a large number of art industrial art objects.
Shosoin Treasure House designated as a national treasure and Michelin green guide ★.
●東大寺二月堂(Todai-ji Temple Nigatsu-do Hall)
Todai-ji Temple Nigatsu-do Hall is a building rebuilt in 1669.
This is designated as a national treasure and Michelin green guide ★.
This is a solemn building…!
The southern aspect of Nigatsu-do Hall.
Principal image of Nigatsu is “十一面観音(the Eleven-faced Kannon)”.
●東大寺四月堂(Todai-ji Temple Shigatsu-do Hall)
Todai-ji Temple Shigatsu-do Hall was rebuilt in 1681.
●東大寺三月堂(Todai-ji Temple Sangatsu-do Hall)
The official name of “三月堂(Sangatsu-do Hall)” is “法華堂(Hokke-do Hall)”.
“Sangatsu-do Hall” was built in 733 years, and it is the oldest building in the Todai-ji Temple.
It is the building which is beautiful so as not to think that there is the history of 1300.
4.Goshuin of Todai-ji Temple
You can get Goshuin in 12 places in Todai-ji Temple.
For more details, it has been summarized in the following site.(Japanese text only.)
I took Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) of “Hall of the Great Buddha” and “Nigatsu-do Hall” which were particularly famous for it having been hard to get all.
Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) of “Hall of the Great Buddha “華厳(Kegon ver.)””
Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) of “Nigatsu-do Hall “観音力(The power of Kannon ver.)””
5.How to get to Todai-ji Temple
・MAP of Todai-ji Temple
・Sightseeing map of Nara
Nearest station of Todai-ji Temple is the Kintetsu Nara Line Kintetsu-Nara Station.
■Route Example (From Namba)
■Route Example (From Osaka)
■Kintetsu-Nara Station → Todai-ji Temple
About 15 minutes walk.
5 minutes by taxi.(About 620 yen.(Starting fare))
How did you like it?
Please try to go.
Have a nice trip! XD
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