Great Buddha Day

What Is Great Buddha Day?

Every April 9th is "Great Buddha Day" (大仏の日, Daibutsu no Hi) in Japan. On April 9, 752 CE — the ninth day of the fourth month of Tenpyō Shōhō 4 in the Japanese imperial calendar — the eye-opening ceremony (開眼供養, kaigen kuyō) was held at Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara to consecrate the Great Buddha (Rushana Butsu, or Vairocana Buddha). This was the moment Japan's most iconic cultural monument was spiritually brought to life, in a ceremony attended by Emperor Shōmu, Empress Kōmyō, and dignitaries from across Asia.

The Great Buddha of Nara

The Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji — formally known as the Tōdai-ji Rushana Butsu Statue (東大寺盧舎那仏像) — stands 14.98 meters tall and weighs approximately 500 tons. It was constructed on the order of Emperor Shōmu as a symbol of national unity and a prayer for the stability of the nation and the well-being of all living things. Construction began in 745 CE and required a decade and the labor of over 2.6 million workers. The amount of bronze used exhausted Japan's entire known copper supply; gold for the gilding consumed 440 kilograms.

The Eye-Opening Ceremony of 752

The kaigen kuyō of April 9, 752 was one of the grandest ceremonies in Japanese history. The Indian Buddhist priest Bodhisena traveled from India to perform the eye-opening ritual — the symbolic act of "giving sight" to the completed statue, thereby imbuing it with spiritual presence. Priests and performers came from China, India, and across the Korean Peninsula. Musicians played instruments from across Asia. It was a moment when Nara, the then-capital of Japan, was at the center of the Buddhist world.

The Great Buddha Today

The original Great Buddha has undergone extensive repairs and partial reconstruction over its 1,270-year history. The current head dates to the Edo period, having been remade after earthquakes damaged the original. Tōdai-ji and its Great Buddha are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of Japan's most visited cultural destinations, drawing millions of visitors annually. The temple's Great Buddha Hall (大仏殿, Daibutsuden) is the world's largest wooden building.

Fun Facts

• The nostril pillar: A wooden pillar inside the Great Buddha Hall has a hole at its base the same size as the Great Buddha's nostril; tradition holds that those who can squeeze through it will achieve enlightenment.
• The deer of Nara: The approximately 1,200 sika deer roaming freely around Tōdai-ji and Nara Park are considered sacred messengers of the gods and are a protected national treasure.