Kyoto Nishi Hongan-ji's giant hall

After a restoration that took more than 10 years, the main buildings of the Nishi Hongan-ji are opened to the public again. Here is the largest of them, Goei-do, photographed with a ultra-wide angle lens because, due to its sheer size, that's about the only way to photograph it in its full glory...

Goei-do is dedicated to the sect's founder (Shinran Shonin) and with a length of 57 meters and a width of 45 meters this is one of the largest wooden buildings in Japan. Actually, it is just a bit smaller than the well known Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) of the Todai-ji from Nara, the largest building in the world made primarily of wood (57 by 50 meters).