Todaiji Temple is the representative temple of those founded during the Nara period (710-784), and it is known for its Daibutsu (Great Buddha) statue. The Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji Temple is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, and it is said that its construction began in 747 and was completed in 751. The completion of the temple as a whole, however, took nearly 40 years. Even after the capital moved to Nagaoka, the temple received warm treatment from successive emperors and boasted prosperity together with Kofukuji Temple. The Great Buddha Hall was damaged by fire twice during battles, and it was repaired during both the Kamakura (1185-1333) and Edo (1600-1867) periods.

Photographs provided by the Nara Visitors Bureau.