Todaiji (東大寺, "Great Eastern Temple")

Todaiji (東大寺, "Great Eastern Temple") is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples located in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved from Nara to Nagaoka in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs.

Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (大仏殿 “Big Buddha Hall”) is the world's largest wooden building, despite the fact that the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple hall's size. The massive building houses one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha (Daibutsu).

Todaiji's grounds are spacious and cover most of northern Nara Park, including a number of smaller buildings in the hills to the east of the main hall.

The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara", together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in the city of Nara.

This postcard shows Todaiji Temple and Kagami Pond in winter.  It was sent by Nahoko Matsumoto (28 April 2014) Postcrossing.