Ep. 089: A Small Hall and a BIG Buddha

The Nan'en-do at Kofuki-ji, the Great Buddha at Todai-ji, and one more temple in Nara

Number 9 on the Saigoku Pilgrimage is a single hall in a formerly-great but these-days-diminished temple in Nara. It also happens to be a fifteen-minute walk from Todai-ji, home of Japan's largest statue of the Buddha. We'll visit both--plus one more--in this episode of

TEMPLE TALES!

The ninth stop on the Saigoku Kannon route (see Episode 044) is the Nan'en-do, an eight-sided hall that can be taken in in its entirety in about three minutes. Kofuku-ji, where it's located, has around a dozen buildings of note today--most of which were built in the 12th-18th centuries--but it was once home to around 175 buildings, and was one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara (which itself was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794).

The Nan'en-do

The name Nan'en-do means "South Circular Hall," with its eight sides "rounded off" in the name, and contrasting it to the Hoku'en-do or "North Circular Hall." Built in 1741 (though perhaps founded in 813), it houses a statue of Kannon, earning it its place on the circuit. It is the only Saigoku temple located in central Nara.