Japan Day 6, Part 3: Toshodai-ji lotus flowers

I briefly stopped in Nara and walked from one station to the other in order to buy a limousine bus to the airport for the next day. I then took a bus Southwest to Toshodai-ji.

The Buddhist temple's main hall contained a statue that actually had 1000 arms: forty large ones and the rest tiny. Most '1000 armed' statues only have forty arms that each represent twenty-five. 

The temple had a two story wood frame pavilion that I found striking. 

The gardens contained many flowering ponds.

The rafter were connected with intricate carvings.

The gardens held many lotus flowers. I always enjoy seeing them in different stages of budding, blooming, and going to seed.

Lotus seed pods truly look alien.

It wouldn't be a proper Buddhist temple without a giant bell.

Clearly I really liked this building, since I felt compelled to take a picture every time I passed it. 

After I toured the temple and its grounds, I started the walk to Yakushi-ji.