Todai-ji Sorin (Pagoda Spire)

A sorin is basically the spire ("set of treasures," if you want to get technical) that sits atop a pagoda. About 1200 years ago, there was a 7-story pagoda at Todai-ji. This sorin was made for a replica pagoda and exhibited at the 1970 EXPO. It stands over 10m tall, which makes me wonder how something like this could have ever stood atop a pagoda of that size. Amazing. Todai-ji, the Great Eastern Temple, was commissioned by Emperor Shomu in the early part of the 700's. It is the head temple of the Kegon sect of Buddhism, but used to be the head of all the Buddhist temples in Japan until it was moved from Nara to Nagaoka in order to limit their influence in governmental affairs (the court was located in Nara and then in Kyoto, close to Todai-ji). The original complex contained two 7-story pagodas, the largest ever in Japan. Although those are gone, Todai-ji is a wealth of national treasures.