Todai-ji (Great Buddha Hall)

東大寺 大仏殿

A 15-metre bronze Buddha inside a colossal wooden hall

Hours

Daibutsuden Apr–Oct 7:30am–5:30pm, Nov–Mar 8am–5pm; museum 9:30am–5:30pm (to 5pm Nov–Mar)

Tickets

Daibutsuden adults ¥800, ages 6–12 ¥400; Daibutsuden + museum combo ¥1,200; buy at the gate

Address

406-1 Zoshi-cho, Nara

Through the Great South Gate, two muscle-bound guardian kings glare down from either side, and beyond them the roof of the Daibutsuden blots out the sky. Step over the threshold into the gloom and the bronze Buddha, about 15 metres tall, is sitting right there; a single palm is the height of a person. Today's hall is a 1709 rebuild, narrower than the original, and still one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Behind the statue, a pillar has a hole said to match the Buddha's nostril, and watching kids wriggle through it is half the fun.