Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples of Nara, Japan. Completed in the 740s when Nara was the capital of Japan, Todai-ji (or “Great Eastern Temple”) was the largest building project ever in the country at the time. The temple was largely rebuilt after the Genpei Civil War (1180-85) when many temples were destroyed during the war as Buddhist clergy took sides in clan warfare.
Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall) houses one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha in Japan. Until recently, Daibutsuden held the record as the world's largest wooden building, despite the fact that the present reconstructio is only two thirds of the original temple hall's size.