Todaiji Temple Corridor: The Edo-Period Cloister Around the Great Buddha Hall
The Todaiji Temple Corridor (東大寺廻廊, Kairō) is a mid-Edo-period roofed cloister running out from either side of the Middle Gate to enclose the forecourt of the Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji in Zoshicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, built between 1716 and 1737 and designated an Important Cultural Property in 1900. The designation covers two buildings, the east and west corridors.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records each range as a single-storey corridor one bay deep and 41 bays long including its turns, with a clay-tile roof. Leaving the Middle Gate on each side, the corridors bend as they run and wrap the broad court in front of the hall from east and west.
Thirty Years After the Hall
The Great Buddha Hall, burned in 1567, was rebuilt through the monk Kōkei's fundraising and consecrated in 1709. The temple's history notes that the Middle Gate and corridors took another thirty years to finish.
The Agency's dates set out the sequence: the Middle Gate in 1714, the east and west corridors from 1716 to 1737, and the two Tozai Gakumon gates within them in 1719 and 1722. The Todaiji Temple Corridor was the last stage of the Edo-period revival of the Great Buddha Hall.
One Bay Deep, Forty-One Bays Long
The Todaiji Temple Corridor is a long, narrow building one bay deep, its posts marching at even intervals. East and west mirror each other about the Middle Gate, and the long low roofs set off the vast roof of the Great Buddha Hall.
Partway along each range opens one of the Tozai Gakumon gates, where a gabled roof rises a step higher. In 41 bays of repetition, those gates mark the midpoint on each side.
Why the Corridor Is an Important Cultural Property
The Todaiji Temple Corridor was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1900, on the same day as the Middle Gate and the Tozai Gakumon, under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law of the time.
The Great Buddha Hall, Middle Gate, gates and corridors were all set in place by the same Edo-period revival. Because the corridors survive together with the Middle Gate and gates, the layout of Todaiji's rebuilt central precinct can still be read as it was intended.
Visiting the Corridor
To walk inside the Todaiji Temple Corridor you need a Great Buddha Hall ticket: 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for elementary school children (checked October 2026). The entrance is on the left (west) side of the Middle Gate. Souvenir photos are fine along the visitor route, but the temple asks visitors not to use tripods or stage group photos.
The outside of the corridors can be seen free from the avenue and grounds. From inside the forecourt, the way the two ranges frame the Great Buddha Hall becomes clear. Hours and directions are on the Todaiji Temple page.
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Q&A
- When was the Todaiji Corridor built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1716 to 1737, after the Great Buddha Hall was rebuilt in 1709.
- How many buildings make up the Todaiji Corridor designation?
- Two: the east and west corridors, each 41 bays long including turns and one bay deep, with clay-tile roofs.
- When was the Todaiji Corridor designated?
- In 1900, on the same day as the Middle Gate and the Tozai Gakumon gates.
- Do I need a ticket to walk inside the Todaiji Corridor?
- Yes. The inside is part of the Great Buddha Hall precinct: 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for children (checked October 2026). The outside is visible free.
- What are the gates partway along the Todaiji Corridor?
- The Tozai Gakumon gates: the east gate of 1722 and the west gate of 1719, both Important Cultural Properties.
Basic Information
| Name | Todaiji Temple Corridor |
|---|---|
| Location | Zoshicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1900 |
| Quantity | 2 buildings (east and west corridors) |
| Dimensions | Each 41 bays long including turns, 1 bay deep, single storey, clay tiles |
| Owner | Todaiji Temple |
| Public Access | Inside is within the Great Buddha Hall precinct (adults 800 yen). Exterior visible free |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 東大寺廻廊（東廻廊）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2442
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 東大寺廻廊（西廻廊）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2443
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 東大寺中門
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2441
- Todaiji Temple: Edo Revival
- https://www.todaiji.or.jp/history/edoki/
- Todaiji Temple: Opening Hours and Admission Fees
- https://www.todaiji.or.jp/information/haikan/
- Todaiji Temple: Daibutsuden
- https://www.todaiji.or.jp/information/daibutsuden/
Last verified: 2026.10.02
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Todaiji Temple Corridor east corridor 0.00 km
- Todaiji Temple Corridor west corridor 0.15 km
