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Located in the north of Nara Park, it is one of the most famous temple complexes in Nara and Japan. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, it is so large and there is so much to see that one can easily spend the afternoon there. Tōdai-ji was built in the 8th century by order of Emperor Shōmu. After a series of natural disasters, the emperor decided that every province would have a Buddhist temple and that Tōdai-ji would be built to be at the head of these temples. The emperor's political plan was to create a centralized state based on Buddhism. Construction took over 20 years, and the temple opened in 752. It held immense power during the Nara period but declined when the capital was moved to Kyoto in 794. Destroyed or burned several times, notably by the Taira clan in 1180, and rebuilt in 1195 by the monk Chōgen Sunjōbō, it was burned again in 1567 and rebuilt by Tsunayoshi Tokugawa in 1708. Its last restoration was in 1980. Originally, the Tōdai-ji included, in addition to the current buildings, 2 large pagodas with 10 and 7 floors. The Tōdaiji houses the Daibutsuden, the Buddha pavilion, and other pavilions scattered throughout a large park.
Daibutsu-den or Kon-dō. In front of the building, a stone pillar is topped by an octagonal lantern dating from the 8th century. The Daibutsu-den, which houses the gigantic bronze statue of Buddha, is 57 m long and 50 m wide. Its height is 47 meters. It is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, yet it is only a modest reconstruction of the original building. It consists of a double roof, supported by pillars knotted together by a metal ring to support the gigantic weight (450 tons). The building was constructed in four years, from 747 to 751, at the same time as the statue. The statue itself represents Vairocana Buddha, or Resplendent Buddha. It is 15 meters high and weighs 450 tons. It is the largest statue of this Buddha in the world. It was cast in 749 with a special technique called garakuri. It was first damaged by an earthquake in 885, then in the successive fires in 1180 and 1567, but the statue was always repaired. Nevertheless, the renovations made it lose its homogeneity. Thanks to X-rays, a tooth, pearls, mirrors and swords were discovered in the knee of the statue. These are believed to be relics of the emperor Shōmu.
Nandai-mon. South Gate. It was built in 1199 and is 29 m high and 11 m deep. The building is five ken (1 ken is 182 centimeters) in length and two ken in depth. This gate, built in the Tenjiku-yō style, houses two large statues of Nio executed by Unkei and Kaikei. One has a closed mouth and the other an open mouth. It gives off an impression of powerful anger and determination. Behind the two statues are 2 lion dogs (koma-inu) executed by the Chinese sculptor Chinnakei in 1196.
Chū-mon is connected to Daibutsu-den by corridors. Near the Mirror Pond, one will notice the locations of the two pagodas, seven and ten stories high respectively.
Nigatsu-dō. Founded in 752, it was rebuilt in 1669. This hall houses two statues of Kannon, one of which is said to have been found in Ōsaka Bay by the monk Jichū. Visiting this hall is not permitted to the public.
Hokke-dō. This hall was built by Ryōben, a member of the Kegon-Shū sect in 733. Sculptures dating from the 8th to the 14th centuries can be seen here.
Shōrō (or belfry). Built in 1239, it contains the largest clapperless bell in Japan.
Kaisan-dō (Founder's Hall). Built in 1019 and rebuilt in 1250 in the Tenjiku-yō style. It contains a statue of Ryōben which is usually only visible on December 16.
Kaidan-in (Ordination Hall). It contains the clay Shi-Tennō, guardians of the Four Directions and dating from the Tempyō period, during the reign of Emperor Shōmu, from 729 to 749.
Shōsō-in (imperial treasure). Located north of Daibutsu-den, the building was constructed in 760 in the azekura-zukuri (kura: granaries) style. The building is supported by forty pillars with a height of 2.50 meters. The roof is in Yosemune style and covered with tiles. Nowadays, the treasure is kept in Nara National Museum. It is exhibited every year from the end of October to the beginning of November.
Tegai-mon. This is one of the oldest buildings in the temple as it dates back to 752. According to legend, walking in front of this building is supposed to cure diseases. The Shunjō-dō holds a statue of Chōgen Sunjōbō that can only be seen on July 5.
Kasuga Taisha. This shrine is located southeast of Todai-ji. It was founded in 709 by Fuhitō Fujiwara and dedicated to the deity Takemikazuchi of Kashima Jingū Shrine. The three thousand bronze and stone lanterns that adorn the park are illuminated only twice a year, during setsubun (February) and o-bon (August). The shrine had many buildings which did not all escape the terrible fires. Nevertheless, one can still notice the Nandai-mon gate (1179) which opens on the first courtyard. Then, after the Chū mon gate, one reaches another courtyard, where four Nagare-zukuri (asymmetrical roofs) style shrines stand. The shrine is known for its theater and music arts.
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Opening time and information on TŌDAI-JI
7.30am-5.30pm (8am-5pm November to March). Admission to Daibutsu-den: ¥800.
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2. Connue sous le nom de "Porte du Sud", cette structure en bois est la plus grande porte de temple existante au Japon, avec une hauteur de 25 mètres, et l'on peut sentir sa lourde histoire à l'œil nu. Contrairement à la glorieuse façade du temple de notre imagination, la porte est tachetée et usée par les intempéries, la couleur du bois s'est estompée, exposant la texture rugueuse du bois d'origine, comme un général militaire usé par le temps, silencieux mais doté d'une aura.
3. À l'intérieur de la porte, de part et d'autre, se trouvent deux grandes statues de divinités gardiennes, la célèbre "statue de Vajra Rikishi", également connue sous le nom de "statue de In King". Il s'agit de l'apogée de l'histoire de la sculpture japonaise, datant de la période Kamakura et réalisée par le père et le fils Yunkei et Fastkei, l'ensemble de la statue étant assemblé avec du bois puis laqué, le corps entier étant recouvert d'une laque noire qui, à la lumière du soleil, brille d'un éclat intense. De près, on peut voir que les yeux furieux et les manches volantes de la statue ne sont pas rugueux, mais que l'esthétique de la tension a été finement calculée.
4. En franchissant la porte sud, puis en avançant, on découvre la salle du Bouddha du temple de l'Est, également connue sous le nom de "salle dorée", bien que le nom soit "doré", mais le ton principal est celui du bois noir et blanc, solennel et digne. L'extérieur a deux étages, mais l'espace intérieur n'en a en fait qu'un, et la structure est orientée vers la fonction.
5. Construit à l'origine à l'époque de Nara (VIIIe siècle après J.-C.) par l'empereur Shomu pour prier pour la tranquillité nationale, il a été reconstruit plusieurs fois à la suite d'incendies, et celui que nous voyons aujourd'hui est une version reconstruite de celui de l'époque d'Edo. Même s'il ne s'agit que d'une "nouvelle" version, il reste l'une des plus grandes structures en bois au monde et peut accueillir plus de 1 000 personnes à la fois.
6. Le Bouddha central, d'une hauteur d'environ 15 mètres, est l'un des plus grands bouddhas assis en bronze du monde, de couleur noire et dégageant une impression de calme et de force. Il s'agit du Bouddha Vishnu Shakyamuni, qui symbolise la vérité universelle de l'univers. Plus de 400 tonnes de bronze et 8 tonnes de feuilles d'or ont été utilisées pour créer la statue, une "mobilisation nationale" qui a failli épuiser le trésor national à l'époque - avant même que le temple Todaiji ne soit achevé, le Japon était en proie à une crise financière et à la désobéissance civile.
7. De chaque côté du Bouddha, deux statues de Bodhisattvas, le Bodhisattva Vairocana et la Kannon de la roue de la miséricorde, symboles de sagesse et de compassion, accompagnent le Bouddha.
8. Lorsque l'on sort du temple et que l'on regarde en arrière, on aperçoit un étang calme derrière le temple. Si vous regardez de loin, tôt le matin ou le soir, l'étang reflète le reflet de la salle, en fait, assez calme et élégant, mais malheureusement, aujourd'hui, les touristes sont tissés, bondés, légèrement perdu quelques points de méditation zen.
9. Mais aussi à cause de cela, peut être plus apprécié : ce n'est pas seulement un symbole des croyances anciennes, mais aussi une partie de la culture spirituelle du peuple japonais d'aujourd'hui - dans les milliers d'années de temps à travers le même, peut encore choquer l'esprit.