Tōshōdai-ji (唐招提寺) 唐招提寺
Founded in 759 by Ganjin: his statue from 763 can be seen only on 5–7 June.
Tōshōdai-ji is the head temple of the Ritsu school of Buddhism, one of the six Nara schools. It was founded in 759 by the Chinese monk Ganjin (688–763), who, after five failed attempts (and the loss of his sight), managed to reach Japan at imperial invitation to transmit the orthodox monastic precepts. The complex, with its late eighth-century buildings, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998 as part of the ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’.
Nara
Yamato-Saidaiji, Nishinokyō
