A Symphony of Colors — The Todai-ji Temple in Nara Park and Myriam Café

The Toadai-ji Temple is a significant temple within the grounds of the Nara Park. I simply took a look of its outside, and did not bother to queue a long line to see the big Buddha statue inside. Suffice to say, the imposing Nandaimon Gate was itself a sight to behold.

A Brief History of the Todai-ji Temple

Meaning the “Great Eastern Temple,” Todai-ji Temple prides itself in the enormous Buddha statue that graces its main hall, the Daibutsuden. The current Daibutsuden was once the record holder for being the world’s largest wooden building. It was a reconstruction in 1692, and it is already a third smaller than the very original Daibutsuden.

The original temple of Todai-ji Temple was constructed in 752 A.D. Emperor Shomu commissioned the construction of this temple to rein in a tumultuous time of epidemic and political chaos. It began as the head temple for all the provincial Buddhist temples of Japan. Well, remember that Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Kyoto to stay away from the Nara Buddhists that became too powerful? The Todai-ji Temple Buddhists were the ones from whom Emperor Kanmu sought to run away.

The bronze Buddha statue of Todai-ji Temple is 15 meters tall in a seated posture. It represents Vairocana, a universal Buddha in the Mahayana Buddhism tradition.

The Nandaimon Gate of the Todai-ji Temple and its Nio Guardian Kings

On the way to the Todai-ji Temple I went through the enormous and imposing Nandaimon Gate, also a wooden structure. On the sides of the Nandaimon Gate inside stand two large Nio Guardian Kings. The fierce looking guarding gods are designated national treasures, like the Nandaimon Gate itself.

By the day that I visited Nara, I was simply exhausted from all the touring and the photography that engaged a whole lot of energy and attention for all of the previous week. I figured that I really only wanted to see the deer in Nara. Therefore I skipped the temple altogether.

I needed lunch so I headed out on a bus and returned to the city.

After lunch, I simply strolled around in the old business district (Naramachi). I found Myriam Café.

Myriam Café

The quaint and cosy Myriam Café was the highlight of my stay in Nara. It has a cute appearance, but passersby can easily miss it because it is also humble.

It felt as if I entered into a world of its own at Myriam Café. A baby grand piano sits in the corner. The low ceiling hung just a couple feet above me, creating a sense of intimacy as enclosed by the wooden furnishing of the café.

There were lone customers like me that kept things to themselves, and there were loquacious chatters exchanging views on children and gossip. The two ladies working at the counter served their food. I ordered their signature chocolate cake with coffee. I was clearly a foreigner, but they did not have the spare time to chat.

The chocolate cake and curry are the two signature items at Myriam Café. I ordered a chocolate cake during lunch hour and the lady had to serve up one of the last pieces they had. The chocolate cake was heavenly dense and rich in flavor.

I sat there for about an hour or two, admiring the non-Japanese lady there speaking fluent Japanese to her customers. I was in the company of strangers, an unlikely solitude within a warm, humanly atmosphere.

It came time for dinner soon. I checked back in at the Guesthouse Tamura, rested a bit and had my last dinner in Japan.

Sources

Japanguide.com on Todaiji Temple.