Todaiji Great Buddha Lantern Service 2026
On Obon night, around 2,500 lanterns glow before Nara's Great Buddha and the hall's window opens so his face gazes out.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/08/15 10:00 – 2026/08/15
- Where
- Todaiji Great Buddha Hall（406-1 Zoshicho, Nara City, Nara）
- City
- Nara
- Getting there
- About 20 minutes' walk or a bus to Daibutsuden from Kintetsu Nara Station.
- Price
- Great Buddha Hall admission applies (around ¥800).
- Organizer
- Todaiji Temple
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- About 20 minutes' walk or a bus to Daibutsuden from Kintetsu Nara Station. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Great Buddha Hall admission applies (around ¥800).. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, solo-goers
Highlights
- Around 2,500 lanterns lit before the Great Buddha
- The hall's observation window opened so the Buddha's face is visible
- A quiet, candlelit Obon atmosphere
Background & story
Held on the night of Obon, the lantern service offers light to guide ancestral spirits; the upper window of the hall is opened so the Great Buddha gazes out over the visitors.
Good to know
Arrive before dusk to catch the lanterns being lit, and view the Buddha's face across the pond from the opened window.