The temple complex of Todai-ji Temple was built in the period from 710 784 years, when in place of the modern city of Nara was built a new Japanese capital Heydzё. Currently, this ancient Buddhist temple is considered to be the world's largest structure made of wood and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It located in the "deer" Nara Park.

One of the attractions of Todai-ji - a huge bronze statue of the Buddha, which was cast from 743 751 a year. In the works involving more than two million people, the will of the Emperor Shomu, ordered to build a giant statue to protect the country from disasters and epidemics. 15-meter high statue was made only after eight unsuccessful attempts, his weight was 500 tons. Then, around the statue began construction Daybutsuden - Hall of the Great Buddha. April 9 752 year ceremony of consecration of the Big Buddha statue, which has become the most spectacular triumph in the history of the capital Heydzё. It was attended by the Emperor and his wife, as well as 10 thousand monks from the temples of the city.

And the Big Buddha and the temple itself has repeatedly restored and rebuilt. Buddha repaired after two fires and earthquakes 855 years, when we broke off the statue's head. Todai-ji Temple was destroyed at the end of the XII century and the second half of the XVI century during the civil wars. Its present appearance of the temple has acquired only in 1709, after the completion of restoration work, during which it was necessary to demolish the two hundred-meter pagoda, destroyed by an earthquake. Perhaps it was the highest structure of the time. The newly built Daybutsuden amounted to little more than half of the former Hall of the Great Buddha, but is still considered to be the largest wooden building in the world. Wooden structural columns are narrow passages at ground level. Passage width equal to the size of the nostrils of the Buddha. It is believed that the last easily through these "nostrils" will be blessed.

The temple complex includes Shosoin treasury building, which itself is an interesting structure of wood - its frame is made of logs triangular flat part which faces the inside of the building, and the island to the outside than the texture created ribbed exterior walls.

In Shosoin stored curiosities times of church construction, in particular, jewelry Japanese emperors who ruled the country from 701 to 760 years, the artifacts brought on the Great Silk Road from Persia, India, China, and a collection of theater masks Gigaku. Some of the treasures Shosoin exhibited in the museums of the city of Nara.

In the temple were found two sacred sword that were considered lost for 1,250 years. Swords and Ёhoken Inhoken donated the temple in 756, Empress Komё, they are made of iron and decorated with gold, silver and glaze. Presumably, the Empress ordered to hide them apart from the other treasures that they guarded the temple. Ceremonial swords were found under the floor at the foot of a bronze Buddha by X-ray in 1907. In Shosoin they were placed in 1930, the swords are a national treasure of Japan.