The main hall of Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan. This massive building was the largest wooden building in the world until 1998 and houses the largest bronze Buddha in the world.
The early and mid-700s was a hard time for early Japan, especially for the Imperial family. There were rebellions, famines, and outbreaks of disease. The Emperor Shomu, who reigned at the time, was forced to change the capital four times to avoid social unrest. Shortly after ascending to the chrysanthemum throne, Shomu lost his one year old son, Prince Motoi, and founded a small temple in central Nara in his honor called Kinshosenji. The Emperor later greatly expanded this temple, making it the provincial temple for Yamato province and commissioning a statue of Buddha. Today, this temple is known as Todaiji, and the statue he commissioned is the largest bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha in the world. In Japan, it is known simply as “Daibutsu”, and it is one of the most popular things to see in Nara. Normally in this blog, I try to write about lesser known sites in Japan that people should know about. In this case, Todaiji, and Nara in general, has an interesting story. So let’s dive right in.
The giant Buddha in the main hall of Todaiji in Nara, Japan. Completed in 753, it is the largest bronze Buddha of its type in the world. Recent archeology has found that there are several artifacts from Emperor Shomu inside the statue.
Buddhism has been a dominant religion in Japan for a long time. It was first introduced to Japan in the 4th or 5th century by Chinese merchants and monks, who were in regular contact with ancient Japan. The first state funded temple in Japan was established in Osaka at the end of the 6th century by the legendary Prince Shotoku, who is considered the father of Buddhism in Japan. By the mid-8th century the religion was becoming more widespread, however, the Emperor was still the high priest of the Shinto religion and was believed to be a living Shinto god himself. For Emperor Shomu to expand Todaiji and commission a massive Buddha statue could have sparked yet another rebellion. Further, while the Emperor was a devout Buddhist, he still revered the Shinto gods as well, and he didn’t want to risk angering them too. So, he told the priests at the Imperial family shrine at Ise to ask for Amaterasu’s permission. After seven days and nights, the priests presented their answer: Amaterasu and Viarocana are one in the same, so of course such a statue is acceptable. Ever since, the Japanese have viewed Buddhism and Shinto as similar if not the same, and most (if not all) Buddhist temples in Japan have some sort of Shinto shrine on the premises as well. Nine years after giving the order, the daibutsu was completed, and at the ceremony to open the statue, the Emperor Shomu stepped down as emperor, left the empire to his daughter, and joined the temple as a monk. In doing this, he established a tradition that was followed by Emperors for hundreds of years to follow.
One of two guardian deities that guard the temple interior.
Throughout the Nara period, the power of Todaiji continued to rise. Under the political system at the time, Buddhism was heavily regulated through state funded temples. Todaiji’s status as the provincial temple for the capital, its proximity and connection to the royal family and its possession of the Daibutsu allowed Todaiji quickly become one of the most important temples in all of Japan, both religiously and politically. This power was somewhat short lived, however. At the end of the 8th century, a new capital city, now called Kyoto, was built a good distance away, and with a new capital city came new temples and a new sect of Buddhism shifted the power base of Buddhism to Mount Hiei in southern Shiga prefecture. Today, Viarocana is revered by a minority of Buddhists in Japan, with Pure Land Buddhism’s Amida and Kannon being the most popular.
One of the main gates leading into the Todaiji complex.
Today, Todaiji is not as it once was. The temple and its buildings have felt the ravages of time. Fire has destroyed the complex more than once, with the most recent reconstruction being in 1709 and at a 30% reduction in scale. Even the Buddha itself isn’t as it once was. The head and hands have been re-cast several times, and it has had other extensive repairs done through the years. Even so, it is an impressive place and its story is important to Japanese history and culture – important enough to be a World Heritage Site and visited by masses of people every year. In spite of everything the temple has been through, it really is a beautiful place. The park surrounding Todaiji is incredible and some of the secondary buildings outside the main complex are gorgeous. I particularly recommend the Nigatsudo building set into the hillside a short walk from the main hall. The view is great and they light dozens of lanterns on the balcony at night, which is very beautiful.
The Nigatsudo hall behind the main hall. The hall is built into the side of a hill, giving it an excellent view of Nara city. At night, dozens of these lanterns light up the viewing balcony.
All in all, if you get the chance to visit Nara, go to Todaiji. Even if you can’t do anything else in Nara, you should at least see Todaiji. It is worth it, even if everyone else is there too.