In the east of Nara City, farther inside of deep green at the foot of  Misaka Mountain, stands a big temple. There you can find a colossal Buddha statue, or Daibutsu, sits gracefully and illuminates its gilded bronze. This is Toudai-ji Temple, a head temple of Kegon-shuu religious sect. The statue depicts the sect’s principal Buddha image called Rushanabutsu, or Buddha Vairocana, simply known as “Nara no Daibutsu” in Japan. Toudai-ji was first built as Konshu-ji Temple in 728 by Emperor Shoumu, to hold a memorial service for his son. The Buddha statue was completed and the eye-opening ceremony was held in 752. However, it was not until 789 that the temple building and Daibutsu-den the Great Buddha Hall were finished. Since then, the statue has been repaired and renovated a number of times due to damages inflicted by the flames of wars. According to historical records, both arms were recast during the Azuchi-momoyam period, and the head was also recast during the Edo period.  Apart from the Daibutsu statue, a building in Todai-ji complex called Nigatsu-dou has recently become quite well-known. It is where the Omizutori ceremony or Water-Drawing festival is held. The festival is held every spring, where people prays for world peace and good harvest, and attracts many visitors.  Toudai-ji Temple was registered a World Heritage site as “Historic Monument of Ancient Nara” in 1998.