Nara · Nara Park
Todai-ji Temple
The Great Buddha of Todai-ji, the Vairocana Buddha, was cast in bronze in 749, and the ceremony in which its eyes were 'opened' was held in April 752. According to the temple, the statue is 14.98 meters tall, the face alone is 5.33 meters and the ear 2.54 meters. The head you see today was recast in the Edo period, and the second eye-opening ceremony was held in 1692.
The hall that houses it, the Daibutsuden, burned down twice, in 1180 and in 1567. The current building was completed in 1709: 57 meters wide, 50.5 meters deep and 48.7 meters high. The temple describes it as one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, and yet it is smaller than the original: the first hall was 11 bays wide, and the current one only seven, because there was not enough money.
Up the hill, east of the hall, stands Nigatsu-do, rebuilt in 1669 after a fire. It is open 24 hours and free, and its balcony looks out over the city. From 1 to 14 March the Shuni-e ceremony is held there, and every evening burning torches are swung along the balcony.
Good to know
- One of the pillars in the hall has a hole said to be the size of the Buddha's nostril. By tradition, whoever crawls through it is granted good health and has their wishes come true. Children pass through easily, adults not always.
- At the ticket office you can rent an audio guide in 9 languages, ¥500.
- During Shuni-e the torches go up at 19:00 and last about 20 minutes. On 12 March they start at 19:30, and according to the temple that evening is very crowded, with entry restrictions, and some people do not manage to see anything. Any other evening from 1 to 14 March is quieter.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Todai-ji Temple.
- HereTodai-ji Temple
- ~7 min
Todaiji Monzen Yumekaze Hiroba Street
A complex of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops at the start of the road to the temple: soba, kamameshi, ramen, sweet potato sweets, a mont-bell outdoor gear shop, and kimono rental. Each shop keeps its own hours.
- ~7 min
Izasa, Yumekaze Hiroba Food
A maker of kakinoha-zushi, Nara's sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf. The first floor is a shop, and the second floor is the chain's only restaurant. It closes on some days every month, and the list is posted on its website.
- ~7 min
Mahoroba Daibutsu Pudding Honpo Cafe
Pudding in a small glass jar, handmade from Nara ingredients. The small one is ¥480, the seasonal one ¥590, and there is also soft-serve ice cream for ¥500. At Yumekaze Hiroba.
- ~8 min
Yoshikien Garden More to see
Three gardens, a pond garden, a moss garden and a tea flower garden, with a teahouse in the moss garden. Entry has been free for everyone since April 2020. Closed from 24 to 28 February.
- ~9 min
Kamameshi Shizuka, Koen-ten Food
Kamameshi, rice with toppings cooked in a small pot over a direct flame, from a chain founded in Nara more than 60 years ago. 43 seats. Closed on Tuesday (except on holidays) and one more day a month, in October 2026 on the 19th. You can reserve a table.
- ~10 min
Mount Wakakusa More to see
A grassy hill, 342 meters high, above Nigatsu-do, with a view over Nara. ¥150, children from age 3 ¥80. There are two gates, north and south, about 300 meters apart. Open from the third Saturday of March to the second Sunday of December, which in 2026 means until 13 December.
More in Nara Park
Appears in: Nara: the deer, the Great Buddha and the lantern shrine