Webmaster visited world famous Todai-ji Temple in Nara last week.
Access: Osaka (local train 0:15) Tsuruhashi (local train 0:28) Kintetsu-nara (walk 0:15) @
I started walking from Nara Station of Kintetsu Railway. There is another Nara Station of Japan Railway nearby. You can choose one of them according to your program.
This is the mascot of Nara called Sento-kun who is a young monk with antlers! You can come across him in various places.
When I arrived at the approach to the temple early in the morning, very few people are walking there. The shops along the approach were not open yet.
The famous sacred deer are resting, too.
As walking along the approach, Nandai-mon Gate appeared at the depths. This wooden gate was built in 1203 and designated as a national treasure.
A pair of guardians Kongo-rikishi welcomed me at the gate. These wooden statues are 8.4m tall, made in 1203, and also designated as national treasures.
Through the gate, the main hall was seen at the depth.
The view of the main hall surrounded by corridors.
The corridor and apricot blossom
Then, I entered inside the corridor. This main hall is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Can you see how small the visitors are? Of course, it is designated as a national treasure, too.
Inside the hall, the Great Statue of Vairocana-Buddha stays, whom they say that enlightens us and lead to nirvana. It is 15m tall.
There are two flanking Buddha by him, those are Kokuzo-bosatsu on the left who is the guardian of wisdom, and Nyoirin-kan’non on the right who saves us from suffering.
Besides the main hall, there are many historic buildings in the huge precincts. It’s worth walking around to visit them.
When I returned to the main approach after walking in the precincts, tourists had started to come.
Some of them bought shika-senbei, the feed for deer, and enjoyed feeding deer on it.
End.