is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

of the Risshū sect in the city of

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

, in

Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The Classic Golden Hall, also known as the '' kondō'', has a single story, hipped tiled roof with a seven bay wide facade. It is considered the archetype of "classical style". It was founded in 759 by the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

Chinese monk Jianzhen during the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

. Jianzhen was hired by the newly empowered clans to travel in search of funding from private aristocrats as well. Tōshōdai-ji is one of the places in Nara that

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

has designated as

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

" Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara". A reflection written by Yan Wenjing on the hope for friendly Sino-Japanese relations describing the author's discovery of lotus flowers imported from China which had been planted around the portrait of Jianzhen in the Tōshōdai-ji is included as one of the oral assessment passages on the Putonghua Proficiency Test.

Building list

* Golden Hall – National Treasure of Japan, built in the Nara period (710 to 794). * Korō – National Treasure of Japan, rebuilt in 1240. *Kōdō (Lecture Hall) – National Treasure of Japan, built in the Nara period. * Hōzō (Treasure House) – National Treasure of Japan, built in the Nara period. *

Kyōzō in Japanese Buddhist architecture is a repository for sūtras and chronicles of the temple history. It is also called , , or . In ancient times the ''kyōzō'' was placed opposite the shōrō, belfry on the east–west axis of the temple. The ea ...

(Sutra Storehouse) – National Treasure of Japan, built in the Nara period. * Mieidō – Important Cultural Property. * Raidō – Important Cultural Property. *Shinden – Important Cultural Property. * Nandaimon

Gallery

File:Memorial-in-front-of-Tōshōdai-ji-Nara.jpg, Memorial in front of Toushoudai-ji File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref04s5s4290.jpg, Shichidō garan File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref03n4592.jpg, Korō File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref13n4350.jpg, Raidō File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref08n4500.jpg, Hōzō and Kyōzō

References

External links

Toshodaii Temple, from The Official Nara Travel Guide

Toshodaiji Temple
Guide GoJapanGo Buddhist temples in Nara, Nara World Heritage Sites in Japan National Treasures of Japan Historic Sites of Japan 8th-century establishments in Japan 759 establishments Religious buildings and structures completed in the 750s 8th-century Buddhist temples {{Japan-Buddhist-temple-stub

Building list

Gallery

See also

References

External links