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Kōfuku-ji (興福寺) is one of the "Seven Great Temples" of Nara. Originally constructed in Yamashina, Kyoto, it was moved to Fujiwara-kyō. The second and last move was to Nara in 710. It was rebuilt multiple times due to damage sustained during civil wars and rebellions. Tokugawa Ieyasu gave large amounts to fund reconstruction in the 17th century. [1]
Tōdai-ji (東大寺) is another Buddhist temple located in Nara, Japan meaning “Eastern Great Temple”. It is also one of the Seven Great Temples. Tōdai-ji is home to the largest bronze statue of Vairocana, a celestial Buddha that sits at 187ft. It is the headquarters of Kegon Buddhism, which is one of six Buddhist schools of Nara. The played a great role in the reconciliation of Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism. [2]
Giant celestial Buddha in the main hall of Tōdaiji
Activity: To learn more about the temples and Buddhism try to act out some of the different hand poses or "mudra" and find out which each pose means. Then use this knowledge to find the meaning shown in the big buddhist statue shown in the Tōdaiji main hall.
[1][2]Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 1998, whc.unesco.org/en/list/870.
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