Great Lecture Hall

The single-story Lecture Hall was used by the priests for study. The Bell Tower (Shoro) stands on its east side and the Sutra Storehouse (Kyozo) on its west side. The Hall and the Bell Tower originally built in were destroyed in 925 in a fire caused by a lightning strike. The Hall was rebuilt in 990 to enshrine Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of medicine and healing. Among the notable sculptures housed within the hall is the seated Yakushi Nyorai figure cast when the hall was constructed. The statue is about 2.5 meters tall and is flanked by a pair of bodhisattvas, Nikko and Gakko, representing sunlight and moonlight. There is elevated seating for priests used during temple ceremonies.