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Todaiji Temple |
| The Emperor Shomu in 715 decreed the building of Todaiji, the Great
Eastern Temple. At his command, the Daibutsuden of this temple became the
greatest wooden building, and holding the largest bronze Buddha in the world.
Although both have been damaged and repaired many times since, Todaiji,
at two-thirds its original size, is still the largest wooden building in
the world. The statue of Buddha, though 5 feet smaller than the original,
is still the world's largest bronze statue. In 752 Todaiji was dedicated
with the Emperor Shomu, his Empress Komyo, and 10,000 Buddhist priests in
attendance. They watched as the eyes of the Great Buddha were painted in. |
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Nara Deer Park |
| Approximately 1,000 deer roam free in a 213 acre preserve forested
with cryptomeria and cypress. The deer, considered as messengers of the
gods, are held to be sacred. Legends recount that the tutelary kami of the
nearby Kasuga shrine was brought to Nara on the back of a deer in 709. Modern
tourists walk freely among the deer, buy "senbei" to feed them,
and photograph them non-stop. Every October sees a sacred de-horning ceremony
when the bucks are lassoed and polled. |
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Yaku-
shi-ji Temple |
| The construciton of Yakushiji derives from a vow of Empeor Temmu in
680 to make an image of Yakushi to bring about the recovery of his ailing
consort. It was first built in Asuka, but then rebuilt in 720, in Nara after
the capital moved. Only a 3-storied pagoda remains of the original buildings,
because of fires, typhoons, & earthquakes. |
