Todai-ji is the most visited site in Nara and one of the most important Buddhist monuments in Japan. The Daibutsuden — Great Buddha Hall — is the largest wooden building in the world, and inside it stands a sixteen-metre bronze Buddha that is the largest in Japan. The hall you see today dates from the eighteenth century and is actually about two-thirds the size of the original eighth-century structure, which burned down twice.
The approach from the Nandaimon Gate through the avenue of stone lanterns is one of the great ceremonial approaches in Japanese architecture. The Nandaimon Gate itself holds two enormous wooden guardian figures dating from 1203 — arguably the finest examples of Japanese sculpture from any period. Deer roam freely through the entire precinct.
Inside the hall, beside the main Buddha, a wooden pillar has a hole bored through its base. According to tradition, anyone who can crawl through it will achieve enlightenment in their next life. The hole is approximately the size of the Buddha's nostril.