Tōdai-ji Temple

J’ai trouvé que le temple de pas mal mais sans plus.
Mis à part cette énorme statue de buddha en bronze installée là en plein milieu, j’ai trouvé qu’au final, il n’y avait rien à y faire (d’ailleurs j’y ai pris que très peu de photos).
Et puis, que c’était blindé. Il y avait beaucoup, beaucoup trop de monde.
On avait du mal à avancer, on piétinait. bref, rien d’agréable quoi.
Vous y passerez forcément lors d’une visite à Nara, mais privilégiez peut être d’y aller à l’ouverture ou à la fermeture pour vous éviter la cohue.
En gros, faites pas comme nous, n’y allez pas à 11h.

Un temple mythique avec son gigantesque bouddha et ses magnifiques statues.
Les 500 yens d’entrée valent vraiment le coup d’être payés pour pouvoir admirer l’intérieur du temple.
Malgré les nombreux visiteurs il reste facilement possible d’admirer l’architecture intérieure et extérieure du lieu et de sentir l’atmosphère phénoménale de l’endroit.
Né loupez pas le pilier au fond à droite sous lequel passent les enfants pour atteindre l’illumination (et rigoler aussi).
A né pas manquer aussi le temple Nigatsu-​do tout en haut vers le mont Wakakusa, parfait pour admirer le coucher de soleil sur la ville de Nara.

This temple is home to the world’s largest wooden buildings and one of the largest Buddhas you will ever see.
So large, in fact, that his head has fallen off a few times during earthquakes. Since it’s Japan and they’re used to that, they just put it back on and carry on with their business.
You have to fend off some very aggressive deer, who assume that every human is there to feed them. You also have to be on the lookout for deer poop, which of course is everywhere.
This is a beautiful building and temple and there are others nearby that are filled with truly ancient treasures, some more than 1000 years old.
Nara is definitely worth a visit, and Todai-​ji is the crown jewel.

Une magie émane de se temple. Et cela ce n’est pas les milliers de visiteurs par jour qui enlèvera cette sensation au plus grand temple en bois au monde. Cet édifice est sans aucun doute la visite incontournable de Nara même si j’ai une grosse attirance pour le parc et ses daims. Le bouddha (500 yens) né doit pas être loupé. Pour les plus patient vous pouvez passer dans la narine de bouddha. Il paraît que cela porte chance ^^ !! (Pilier ayant un trou en son centre)

awesome place to visit. amazing architecture and history of this temple. such a great walk up the road from the subway station, through the deer park. the deer are so cute. there is a fee once you get up to the temple. but so many things to see and take pictures of outside the temple and of course when you get in. one really neat thing that you can do once you get into the temple, is to write/​paint on a roofing tile. to commemorate the occasion and for your memories of being in such a place. it is actually to help with temple restoration. it costs 1,000 yen for one tile. they ask that you write the date, your name address and country where you are from and also a wish, if youd like, to be secured forever there at the Todaiji Temple. really cool
is said that this will bring eternal happiness also.
not much else i can write for a review about this place. i just hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.

About 20 — 30 mins walking from Kintetsu-​nara Station, Japan, pending on which way you go. I did a bit of an L shape walking pattern which will lead you on a path along park grounds and museums. A long the way you will see grandma’s selling deer biscuits and warning signs on what and what not to do about the deer that can be found all about the city. The deer are not house pets and will bite and ram and kick, but I didn’t witness anything serious. You can buy deer feed along the way or at the temple, you will always find one that is hungry at the Temple, the ones in the parks along the way seem more well fed due to the tourists coming through.
If you have kids, don’t let them crawl around on the cement ground path ways. I witnessed a lot of tourist kids do this and then the non-​supervising parent comes back with food and gave some to their dirty handed kids to eat something. Yes, the deer pee and poop all along the pathways — especially in the park.
Inside the temple is a large Buddha, perhaps the biggest I’ve ever seen. but the things inside the temple itself felt like… half tourist area, and half souvenir shop. There is more souvenir shop stands outside of the temple on the path to exiting but the ones in the Temple are better. Though I would say the temple grounds could be explored more greatly, the main temple get crowded. But the grounds are what could lead to a more adventurous discoveries.

People from Kyoto look down on people from Nara. At least that’s what our guide told Jamie W. and me when we decided to make a brief stop in Nara on the way to Osaka. It’s kinda like when Leonardo DiCaprio gave Lady Gaga the sideways shade when she bumped into his chair walking up to get her Golden Globe. The two things Kyotoites can’t throw shade on, however, are the world’s largest wooden building and the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue because both things are here in Nara at Tōdai-​ji. You can’t miss it because it would be like going to Agra without seeing the Taj Mahal, Pisa without seeing the Leaning Tower, or New York City without seeing Katz’s Delicatessen.
OK, Katz’s you could miss but not Tōdai-​ji. It dates back to 728 and has been rebuilt at least twice since then because, well, it’s made of wood. As you walk on the pathway toward the main gate, Nandai-​mon (photo:
), you are surrounded by wild Sika deer who are looking for the round crackers called shika senbei, which are sold by the vendors. The etiquette is to bow in front of the deer and wait for the deer to bow back though it may take a few attempts before reciprocation occurs (photo:
). They can get understandably peeved if you tease them with a cracker if you don’t provide it as a reward, but they don’t bite… much. Over 1,200 roam freely on the grounds, so you won’t be lacking for hungry deer.
Once you get to the gate, you will see the guardian deities called kongorishiki, giant sculptures that keep the temple safe from tourists like me (photo:
). When you finally come upon the Great Buddha Hall, the building looks increasingly massive as you get closer (photo:
). There used to be two gigantic pagodas flanking the temple, but they were destroyed by an earthquake. The Daibutsu, the Great Buddha, is what you come here for, and he greets you with the most serene look, all 450 tons of him. He sits nearly fifty feet high with just his hand spanning nearly eighteen feet (photo:
). It took nearly 2.5 million people to help build him and the temple, so the least you could do is say hi if you’re in the area.

Todai-​ji is just as impressive as the Taj Mahal. This is the world’s largest wooden building and houses the world’s largest bronze buddha. It is shockingly massive, gorgeous, with surrounding foliage and ponds to give you outstanding views. Inside, the sitting bronze buddha is similarly impressive. Admission into the temple is miniscule, and you can spend as much time as you like inside. It was crowded, but not overwhelming.
The gates walking up to the main temple house two incredibly massive statues — the Nio gate guardians. These are super impressive.
The entire compound and the surrounding Nara Park offer a multitude of other small temples and shrines along with harmless, wild deer that roam the area.

Don’t miss this.
First of all, don’t miss Nara. It’s an amazing city and easy to get to from Osaka or Kyoto. And it’s filled with these amazing deer and beautiful scenery and of course, the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue.
And it is a massive statue, worthy of the journey alone. But the rest of the temple is equally impressive, from the architecture to the giant statues guarding the entrance gate to the little bits of history literally surrounding the buddha that you can see as you walk through (like his giant original hand).
It’s crowded for sure and a little bit of a hike, but don’t let that detour you, it’s amazing.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been to this temple, showing this to visiting family and friends.
This is probably one the main attraction in central Nara. The very big Buddha statues no matter how many times I’ve seen it always amazes and impress me.
Definitely worth a visit when visiting Nara.

This Buddhist temple is magnificent. What a wonder to see, and gorgeous inside and out. The Great Budda of Nara resides inside the temple, sitting at over 50 feet tall. It is one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world, and amazing to see. Very crowded at this tourist site, but so worth it to come! :) Get your cameras ready…
More photos here:

La ville de Nara est riche d’une grande histoire, elle fut notamment la capitale du Japon au 8ème siècle. On y trouve un grand nombre de monuments religieux et historiques.
Le temple Tōdai-​ji est probablement le plus emblématique de Nara. Cet énorme complexe religieux se situe dans Parc de Nara, à l’Est de la ville. Ce dernier est très prisé des touristes, pour ses monuments, mais aussi pour ses fameux daims en liberté.
La magnifique bâtisse principale du Tōdai-​ji est la plus grande structure en bois du monde. Elle accueille notamment une exceptionnelle statue de Bouddha en bronze haut de 16 mètres.
Ce temple est connu pour être le centre de deux des six écoles bouddhiques au Japon, à savoir Kegon (école de l’ornementation fleurie) et Ritsu (école de la discipline).
Il est véritablement l’un des plus impressionnants temples du Japon.
5 étoiles bien méritées donc, mais pas uniquement pour ce site, car l’ensemble du parc de Nara vaut le détour, le sanctuaire Kasuga-​taisha (et ses 1000 lanternes en bronze) est également très joli et apaisant.
Je conseille également de sortir des sentiers battus touristiques et de s’égarer à l’Ouest de la ville, on y trouve des sites aussi beaux, avec la tranquillité en plus.

Beautiful, but very crowded. We almost didn’t go in due to the high admission fee and the huge crowds, but we’re glad we did. We enjoyed the outlying temples as much or more than the main hall with the giant Buddha though.

Of all the Buddhist temples I have visited, Todaiji — Eastern Grand Temple — is by far the most impressive temple in both the scale of the temple architecture and the grandeur of those whom the temple houses. This is where the famous Daibutsu (Great Buddha), the world’s largest bronze statue, is at.
Built more than a millennium ago, Todaiji was one of Japan’s seven most powerful Buddhist temples at the time. Although the much larger original complex was burned down and reconstructed at a reduced scale, the main hall Daibutsuden still held the record of the world’s largest wooden structure until it was surpassed only recently by modern structures. However, as equally impressive if not more is the massive bronze statue within.
Nara Buddha, known as the Daibutsu, is perhaps one of the most iconic symbols in Japanese Buddhism because of its history and grandeur. At a towering 15 meters, Daibutsu is so massive that his nostril is said to be large enough for a child to crawl through and nearly consumed all of Japan’s available bronze at the time. On his sides are also a pair of large lacquered wooden Bodhisattva statues and two of unpainted wooden Shitenno (Four Heavenly Kings) — the other two were never constructed because of depleted funds. Although not as nearly the same scale as the central Buddha, each individual statue in this main hall is a remarkable Buddhist artwork to admire!
If you have time though, don’t just visit Daibutsuden! Whether you are walking toward Kasuga Shrine or not, take the scenic uphill route to the smaller halls of Todaiji, one of which is Nigatsu-​do (February Hall) which has the pavilion that overlooks Nara. If you love Buddhist arts, the museum is going to make your day even after seeing the unbelievable marvel of Daibutsu!
However, even if you do not appreciate Buddhist art, Todaiji’s massive scale starting from its colossal south gate is enough to awe. Especially if you are in the western Japan area, this is a marvel that you cannot miss!

*Zen * Breathe * Repeat * Zen * Breathe * Repeat *
The above pretty much summarizes how it becomes second nature to * Zen * Breathe * Repeat * when you enter the massive wooden doors of the ancient Tōdai-​ji! I am a Roman Catholic by birth and these grounds move me! There are places on this wonderful world that transcends time, space, and any beliefs we may have. Stonehenge, The Vatican, Mauna Kea, Himalayas, Pyramids, Jerusalem, Mayan Ruins, Thousand Hands of Buddha, Moai of Rapa Nui, Kamakura, and now please add the Tōdai-ji’s Great Buddha of Nara to this auspicious list! A moment in time…
The Great Buddha of Nara aka 大仏 Nara Daibutsu «sits» at well over 50-​feet-​tall! This massive tribute to Buddha is the largest in the world! This wonder of the world dates to circa 752 a.d. and according to legend… In the 8^th Century, anywhere from 200,000 to 2-​million people were used, to help build this giant of a masterpiece! From timber to rice, from bronze to cloth, to physical labor — citizens gave what they could to honor Buddha! Through the many centuries the Daibutsu has survived two fires and several earth quakes — each time damages were promptly dealt with! The great Buddha Hall that has been rebuilt several times in the 1,200 years of existence — The current reconstruction of the Hall dates to 1692. It continues to protect the Daibutsu and great attention to detail was used to honor the original architecture from many centuries earlier!
The Great Hall aka Daibutsuden is about a third of it’s original size, however it still stretches at nearly 200 feet long and 200 feet wide, making it one of the largest all-​wooden structures in the world! The history of the Tōdai-​ji resonates in every nook and cranny and the great walls seem to whisper to you…
*Zen * Breathe * Repeat * Zen * Breathe * Repeat *
Several smaller Buddhist statues, a giant lotus, and models of the former and current buildings are also on display in the Daibutsuden. One of the most popular attractions is a wooden pillar with a hole in its base that is said to be the exact same size as the Daibutsu’s nostril. According to ancient lore those who can squeeze through this opening will be granted enlightenment in their next life. Perhaps…
The Nara Deer are free to roam the grounds, but most will congregate in the nearby park or on the fringe of the Tōdai-​ji. *Please read my previous review #454 on the Nara Kōen* Many still consider the Nara Deer sacred, and interesting enough, they actually do bow to you… Weird in a way, or it could simply be they want the senbei crackers in your pocket. Maybe? Maybe not. Whatever the case… It’s humbling to know that most deer are descendants of those that roamed the grounds some 1200 years ago. Hopefully none winks at you! Amazing, really…
Nearby you can also visit the Nara National Museum, however a Tōdaiji Museum is now open to the public too. Due to time constraints I could not visit the larger Nara National Museum, but was fortunate to browse through the Tōdaiji Museum located next to the Nandaimon Gate. Rotating exhibitions from the temple’s large collection of religious art and cultural treasures, including large Buddhist statues, are held at the museum.
The entrance fee to the great Tōdai-​ji Daibutsuden is a modest ¥500 Yen or approx a tad over $ 4 USD. The Museum is the same price, or you can opt to visit both the Daibutsuden and Museum for only ¥800 Yen! Do it! The Daibutsuden is open 365 days, but the Museum is closed between exhibitions.
So… If in the Nara, Kyoto, Osaka areas and hungry for ancient Japanese culture and/​or Buddhist history make a stop to the great Tōdai-​ji! No, you don’t have to be a historian to enjoy this place, just someone with an open mind and appreciation for life! I promise you won’t be disappointed! And if a talking Nara Deer asks what’s your business here… Tell ‘um I sent you!
*Zen * Breathe * Repeat * Zen * Breathe * Repeat *
«If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion…»
OVERALL GRADE: 5.0-STARS!
Unilocal REVIEW #455 (my walk in Japan)

I left my heart in Nara
This is truly magical and spiritual.
In the park of Nara deer are free and come to eat from your hands to the cookies that you can just buy it there at the stalls. (One also gave me a kiss!)
A magical experience. Transcend park, two portals and join the temple with the cosmic Buddha, huge and peaceful in front of you.
Incense intoxicates you, and if you like you can make the attempt to move from a hole at the base of a column: if you can have a good chance in this life to attain enlightenment. I do not know whether to believe, but I have crawled in there: D
— — — — — — — — — — — — — –
Ho lasciato il mio cuore a Nara
Questo è un luogo veramente magico e spirituale.
Nel parco di Nara i cervi sono liberi e vengono a mangiare dalle tue mani i biscotti che per poco puoi comprare lì alle bancarelle. (Uno mi ha anche dato un bacio!)
Un’esperienza magica. Oltrepassi il parco, due portali e raggiungi il tempio con il Budda cosmico, enorme e pacifico di fronte a te.
Incenso che ti inebria, e se ti va puoi fare il tentativo di passare da un buco alla base di una colonna: se ci riesci hai buone possibilità in questa vita di raggiungere l’illuminazione. Non so se crederci, ma io ci sono strisciata dentro: D

El Gran Templo del Este es la mayor atracción turística de Nara por su importancia histórica y artística. Fue construido en el 752 y alberga una de las mayores estatuas en bronce de Buda de todo Japón. La construcción es realmente impresionante y merece la pena ser visitada al menos una vez.
El mayor problema que he encontrado siempre en este lugar es la cantidad de gente que lo visita. Auténticos ríos de jóvenes estudiantes con gorras amarillas circulan dentro y fuera del templo, provocando en el visitante cierta sensación de agobio. En este tipo de ocasiones siempre me debato entre la huída hacia lugares más tranquilos o el conocer con mis propios ojos aquello de lo que todos hablan. Siempre gana la segunda opción. El Todaiji hay que verlo, aunque la sensación de grandiosidad de la estatua y su recinto quedan amortiguadas por los gritos de los alumnos, los flashes de las cámaras y el constante fluir de gente. Es por esto que no he intentado pasar por el minúsculo agujero que hay en una de sus columnas y que te asegura una futura vida de iluminación, porque sólo me faltaba sumar al agobio ambiental el temor a quedar atrapada.
Si se tiene oportunidad, está bien ver alguno de los eventos y fiestas que tienen lugar en este centro sagrado, principalmente en marzo y en agosto, siendo este último el más espectacular con el festival de las linternas de Toka-​ye.
Mucho más agradable es el paseo por los alrededores, donde no hay casi nadie. Sólo un bosque milenario y cientos de ciervos sagrados que se acercan a ti en busca de unas galletas que se venden en pequeños puestos distribuidos por todo el parque (shika sembei). Esto es algo sensacional y que te alegra el día.
A mí en particular me encantaron los cervatillos y el paseo entre linternas milenarias que terminó en el famoso templo, increíble estructura en madera, reitero, y del que también destaco la gloriosa puerta de entrada, hermosa por vieja y despintada más que por otra cosa.

If you don’t see anything else in Nara this buddha is a must see. It’s HUGE in fact one of the largest in Japan. Make sure to light an incense before you enter and also wash your hands. There are many cool charms for sale in the gift shop inside the temple too. The charm I bought has really brought me good luck. I loved all of the deer in Nara Park as well and it’s fun to pet them and feed them Shika Sembei!

Really beautiful place. Great little hike and the gardens are gorgeous as are the sand sculptures

Utterly breathtaking. The town of Nara in Osaka is a must see when touring Japan. So many things are memorable, including the fact that deer are considered sacred and roam the streets freely. Being an animal lover, this was such a highlight for me. You will find several vendors who sell biscuits so you can hand feed the deer! It is so serene to see the animals all over the land.
The Todai-​ji Buddhist temple (The Great Buddha Hall) was phenomenal. It contains the largest bronze cast of the Great Buddha in Japan, standing 50 feet tall and weighing 500 tons. There are several other large statues in the Hall and it was mesmerizing to see them all and wonder how in the world they were made. The Hall holds the record of being the largest wooden structure in the world. Don’t forget your camera when visiting!