>> P.50
50|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTCITIESNARASOFARASCAPITIALCITIESGO,NARA’SSHIFTASTHETOPDOGWASPRETTYBRIEF.FORJUST74YEARSFROM710ADITWASTHERULINGCITYOFALLJAPAN,INCLUDINGAFIVEYEARHOLIDAYWHENPOWERWASTRANSFERREDTOWHATISNOWOSAKA.ACTUALLY,MOVINGTHECAPITALWASASTANDARDPRACTICEATTHATTIME:EACHTIMEANEMPERORDIED,THENEWONEPREFERREDSETUPNEWMONUMENTSTOHISOWNGREATNESSRATHERTHANMOVEINTOTHEHOMEOFADEADMAN.IT’SFORTUNATETHATINTHATSHORTTIME,THEPOWERFULVISIONARYEMPERORSHOMUWASTHEMANINTHETHRONE.LUCKIERSTILL,HEWASONEOFTHECOUNTRY’SFIRSTMEGA-RICH,MEGA-PASSIONATEBUDDHISTS.WITHMONEYTOBURN(NOTNECESSARILYALLOFITHIS)HECOMMISSIONEDDAIBUTSU-DENANDTODAI-JI–AVASTHOUSEFORACOLOSSALBUDDHA–INTHEHOPETHATAGRANDGESTURETOTHEGODSWOULDHELPEASETHECYCLICALDISASTERTHATJAPANWASENDURINGATTHETIME.FORATIMEITSEEMEDTOWORK.THEMEGA-STRUCTURETHATSTANDSINFRONTOFUSTODAY,THEWORLD’SLARGESTWOODENBUILDING,ISACTUALLYTHETHIRDINCARNATIONOFDAIBUTSU-DEN.LIKESONARASAYNARAMANYCLASSICBUILDINGSAROUNDTHECOUNTRY,THEORIGINALWASDESTROYEDBYFIRE.SOWASITSREPLACEMENT.THECURRENTVERSION,ATOVER300YEARSOLD,ISN’TEXACTLYNEW,NORCOULDITBEREGARDEDASSMALL,BUTUNLIKELYASITSEEMS,THEORIGINALBUILDINGWAS30%LARGER.MEANWHILETHEACCOMPANYINGPAGODAS(ALSODESTROYEDBUTNEVERREBUILT)WEREOVER100MTALL,MAKINGTHEMPROBABLYTHEWORLD’SSECONDTALLESTBUILDINGSATTHETIME,AFTERTHEGREATPYRAMIDOFGIZA.
| < 
| 
> | 
>>
