Toshodaiji Pond Garden - Toshodaiji was founded by Ganjin -...

NARA, NARA-KEN, JAPAN - 2017/11/08: Toshodaiji Pond Garden - Toshodaiji was founded by Ganjin - a Chinese priest invited to Japan by the emperor to train priests and teach Buddhism. Ganjin's influence propagating Buddhism in Japan was monumental, and his arrival and teaching at Toshodaiji was important in this process. Ganjin finally arrived in Japan after 7 attempts to cross the South China Sea and eventually went blind. Toshodaiji's main hall kondo was reopened in 2009 after being renovated during which the building was dismantled and reconstructed. The temple's lecture hall was originally at the Nara Imperial Palace and was moved to Toshodaiji. Today, it is the only surviving building of the former palace. The Buddha statues inside these buildings are national treasures of Japan. North of the temple, the tomb of Ganjin is located surrounded by a moss garden. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)