Toshodai-ji
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Jump to navigationJump to searchTôshôdai-ji, located in Nara, is the head temple of the Ritsu sect of Buddhism, also known as Risshû. It was founded by the Chinese monk Ganjin (C: Jianzhen) in the 8th century, and stands as a precious example of Nara period architecture.
The temple's kondô main hall dates to the 770s and is considered a prime example of Tenpyô period architecture.[1]
A statue of Ganjin held by the temple, a precious example of Japanese dry lacquer sculpture, has been designated a National Treasure. The temple as a whole has been designated a World Heritage Site, as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara."
References
- Conrad Schirokauer, David Lurie, and Suzanne Gay, A Brief History of Japanese Civilization, Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 41-42.
