Bodhisena was a Buddhist monk from south India who had an important role to play in the development of Japanese culture. In the 8th century there were many Indian monks in China teaching Dhamma and translating Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. In 730 the Japanese envoy to the Chinese court, met Bodhisena and invited him to visit Japan . After a harrowing journey Bodhisena and his party, which included an Indian lay man named Buttetsu, arrived in Osaka and later moved to Nara , the capital. The Japanese had previously had contact with Chinese and Korean monks but being from the land of the Buddha Bodhisena was looked upon by his hosts as having particular authority and he was treated with extraordinary reverence. He was asked to consecrate the newly completed giant Buddha statue in the Todaiji Temple in Nara . Over the next decades Bodhisena expounded the Dhamma, taught Sanskrit and is credited with influencing the development of the Japanese kana script. In recognition of his saintliness and learning in 750 he was appointed head of the Sangha in Japan . For his part, Buttetsu introduced the principles of Indian music and dance to Japan , choreographed dances for the royal court, and composed a book for teaching Sanskrit. Bodhisena died in 760 at the age of 57.