Nara | Tōshōdai-ji Temple: A Visit to a Millennium-Old Monastery

✓ Tōshōdai-ji Temple The tourist attractions in Nara city are mostly concentrated in one area. Once you leave the spots frequented by deer, the destinations tend to be less popular, and Tōshōdai-ji Temple is one such place. This temple, established by the Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen (Ganjin in Japanese), boasts a grand scale and a long history. However, many areas are closed off, and the garden maintenance is not particularly refined, making it more of a quick sightseeing stop. The main reason for visiting Tōshōdai-ji Temple was actually to get the recently popular "Jianzhen Incense." Unfortunately, it was sold out. Luckily, I stumbled upon a moss garden of exceptional quality, which somewhat made up for it. Otherwise, the ¥1,000 admission fee would have felt quite steep.