Horyu-ji Temple

Backed by the beautiful pine-clad Yada Hills and overlooking the broad expanse of the Yamato Plain, Prince Shotoku had Ikaruga Palace built in the village of Ikaruga in the 9th year of Empress Suiko’s reign (601). Soon afterward, he vowed to build a temple here for his late father, Emperor Yomei, and the result, completed around 607 in the 15th year of Suiko’s reign, was Horyu-ji Temple.

Prince Shotoku actively adopted China’s outstanding political and cultural achievements, especially Buddhism, and promoted the nation’s development by founding temples such as Shitenno-ji, Chugu-ji, and Koryu-ji, as well as by establishing the Twelve Levels of Cap and Rank, promulgating the Seventeen-Article Constitution, and dispatching missions to Sui China. Regrettably, he passed away at the age of 49 in the 30th year of Suiko’s reign (622), to the deep sorrow of the people.

Thereafter, Prince Shotoku’s aspiration was to be carried on by his eldest son, Prince Yamashiro Oe, who adhered to his father’s testament; however, the troops of Soga no Iruka destroyed Prince Oe and the entire princely line. Horyu-ji is said to have been maintained thereafter by those who revered Prince Shotoku, but according to the Nihon Shoki, it burned to the ground in the 9th year of Emperor Tenchi’s reign (670), leaving not a single building standing. Soon, however, reconstruction began, and by no later than the early Nara period the central temple complex had been restored in Asuka-period style, eventually taking on an even more splendid appearance than before. This is the present Saiin Garan, known as the world’s oldest surviving group of wooden buildings. Meanwhile, as for Ikaruga Palace, the site where the palace had fallen into ruin was lamented by the eminent monk Gyoshin of the Nara period; around the 11th year of Tenpyo (739), he founded the Yumedono there in prayer for Prince Shotoku’s repose, and the complex centered on this structure is the To-in Garan. Despite all these vicissitudes, today Horyu-ji still allows us to behold, before our eyes, numerous Buddhist statues, buildings, and many other works of art and craft handed down since the Asuka period, which is truly a great blessing.

▶ Kondo
The Kondo is the oldest building in the Saiin Garan, and its deep eaves and stable appearance are beautiful. The contrast between the double tiled roof in irimoya style and the board-roofed lower mokoshi, together with the deep rafters and kumoto and kumohijiki under the eaves, creates a pleasant rhythm. (Asuka period, National Treasure)

▶ Five-Story Pagoda
The five-story pagoda, the oldest tower in Japan, has an uppermost shaft section that is half the size of the first story, and this, combined with the deep eaves, gives it a sense of stability. The kumohijiki gently supports the eaves, so it never fails to hold the viewer’s interest. A Buddha relic is enshrined in the foundation stone beneath the central pillar. (Asuka period, National Treasure)

▶ Middle Gate, Cloister, Sutra Repository, and Bell Tower

Middle Gate
The Middle Gate, the original entrance to the Saiin Garan, is distinguished by its deep overhanging eaves and its four-bay, two-door front with two openings. Its entasis columns and the railings on the upper level, with the same manji-kuzushi pattern and hitoji-gata waritsuka as the Kondo, preserve the magnificent style of the Asuka period to this day. (Asuka period, National Treasure)

Cloister
The cloister connects the eastern bell tower, the central Daikodo, and the western sutra repository, enclosing the five-story pagoda and the Kondo standing side by side. Before the Heian period, the cloister ended before the sutra repository and bell tower, and the Daikodo, sutra repository, and bell tower stood outside it. The fact that the eastern side is one bay longer than the western side is thought to reflect consideration for the balance between the Kondo and the five-story pagoda. (Asuka period, National Treasure)

Sutra Repository
This building was erected as a place to store scriptures, but now it houses a statue of the Baekje scholar-monk Kanroku Shonin (Heian period), said to have introduced astronomy and geography to Japan. It also contains one of the three Fukuzo vaults (the others being in the Kondo and in front of the Ofuro), said to hold treasures sufficient to restore Horyu-ji. (Nara period, National Treasure)

Bell Tower
This building burned down together with the Daikodo in 925 due to a lightning strike, and the present bell tower was rebuilt in the style of the sutra repository. The bronze bell hanging inside is an early Nara-period bell, designated an Important Cultural Property, and is now struck for annual observances throughout the year. (Heian period, National Treasure)

▶ Daikodo
The nine-bay Daikodo, standing north of the Kondo and five-story pagoda, was originally built independently outside the northern cloister, but it burned down in 925 and was rebuilt in 990 in a stately form almost the same size as the original. The cloister was further extended northward and attached to it, creating a broad and refreshing space in front of the hall. The Yakushi triad enshrined inside was newly created at the time of this reconstruction. (Heian period, National Treasure)

▶ Daihozo-in and Baekje Kannon Hall
The Daihozo-in, consisting of the eastern and western treasure repositories centered on the Baekje Kannon Hall, houses many of Horyu-ji’s greatest treasures. Among them, the Tamamushi Shrine, which preserves the architectural style of the Asuka period, takes its name from the jewel beetle wings beneath the metal fittings around it. Other treasures include the finely crafted shrine enshrining the Amida triad, said to belong to Tachibana-no-hime, seated on a lotus emerging from a lotus pond with an exquisite halo and back screen; the Yumedō Kannon, said to turn bad dreams into good ones by virtue of its gentle expression; the nine-faced Kannon statue made of white sandalwood brought from China; the wall paintings of heavenly beings in the Kondo’s side walls; and the Hyakumanto pagodas, all of which convey the spirit of ancient culture to the present day.

▶ Shoryoin and East Residence

Shoryoin
With the rise of devotion to Prince Shotoku, the southern end of the East Residence was remodeled to enshrine a statue of Prince Shotoku (late Heian period), and this became the Shoryoin. Inside are three shrines: the central shrine houses the principal image of Prince Shotoku, the shrine on the left contains statues of Prince Yamashiro Oe, Shotoku’s eldest son, and Prince Kuri no Oji, his brother; and the shrine on the right houses statues of Prince Sotsumaro, another brother, and the Koguryeo monk Hyeja Hoshi (all National Treasures). The doors are opened every year on March 22, the date of the memorial service for his death. (Kamakura period, National Treasure)

East Residence
On the east and west sides of the Saiin Garan stand long north-south buildings called the East Residence and West Residence. This East Residence is the monks’ quarters on the eastern side and was used as living quarters for the monks who resided at Horyu-ji. To the east of this building is the Koshoin annex, also a monks’ quarters. (Asuka period, National Treasure)

▶ Sangoin, West Residence, and Ue-no-Mido

Sangoin and West Residence
The name Sangoin derives from the San-gyo-gi-sho, the commentary on the three sutras that Prince Shotoku annotated: the Srimala Sutra, the Vimalakirti Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra. It was built by remodeling the southern end of the West Residence. In the West Residence, lectures on these three sutras are held every year during the three months of summer retreat, from May 16 to August 15. (Kamakura period, National Treasure)

Ue-no-Mido
It is said that this hall was built in the Nara period at the request of Prince Toneri, son of Emperor Tenmu, but it collapsed in 989, and the present building was rebuilt in the Kamakura period. Enshrined inside are a Heian-period Shaka triad statue (National Treasure) and Muromachi-period Shitenno statues (Important Cultural Property). The hall is specially opened to the public every year from November 1 to 3. (Kamakura period, Important Cultural Property)

▶ Yumedono, E-den, Shariden, Denpodo, and East-In Bell Tower

Yumedono
Passing through the East Great Gate of the Saiin, the To-in Garan appears straight ahead at the end of the broad approach, and the sacred jewel atop the Yumedono shines brilliantly above the roof tiles. This is the site of Prince Shotoku’s Ikaruga Palace, a sacred place of Shotoku devotion where the eminent monk Gyoshin, who enjoyed the deep trust of the imperial court, lamented the ruin of the palace site and vowed to build a temple for the prince’s memorial service. It is said that he began the Shoryoe ceremony in 748, the 20th year of Tenpyo.
The octagonal Yumedono, standing on a high stone platform, is the main hall of the To-in. It was originally built in the Tenpyo period, but underwent major alterations in 1230, the 2nd year of the Kanki era in the Kamakura period. Although its height, eaves, and bracket complexes were greatly modified, it retains enough of its old style that it can be restored to its Tenpyo appearance using old materials. (Nara period, National Treasure)

Special Opening of the Yumedono Principal Image
Spring: April 11 to May 18
Autumn: October 22 to November 22

E-den and Shariden
The eastern side of this building is called the Shariden, a structure that enshrines the relics said to have appeared in Prince Shotoku’s hands when he joined his palms and faced east in the spring of his second year. Today, the Shari-kō memorial service is held there for three days from January 1, and the sacred relics are publicly displayed. The western side is the E-den, which houses sliding-door paintings depicting the deeds of Prince Shotoku throughout his life. (Kamakura period, Important Cultural Property)

Denpodo
The Denpodo was converted into a Buddhist hall from the residence of Tachibana no Konakachi, the consort of Emperor Shomu. Unusually for a hall of that era, it has a wooden floor. Inside are many Buddhist statues, including three sets of dry-lacquer Amida triads from the Nara period. (Nara period, National Treasure)

East-In Bell Tower
This bell tower is a Kamakura-period building in the hakamagoshi style, and inside hangs a Nara-period bronze bell engraved with the words “Chugu-ji.”

▶ Saiendo and Yakushi Nyorai Statue

Saiendo
On a slight rise in the northwest of the Saiin Garan stands the octagonal Saiendo, which enshrines a Yakushi Nyorai statue known as “Mine no Yakushi.” Tradition says that this hall was built in 718, the 2nd year of the Yoro era, by Gyoki Bosatsu at the request of Tachibana no-hime, the mother of Empress Komyo. The present building was rebuilt in 1250, the 2nd year of Kencho, but the tuff foundation stones and the two-tiered Shumidan preserve traces of the Tenpyo period.
Around the Yakushi Nyorai statue at the center of the hall are the Twelve Heavenly Generals; on the east face is a Thousand-Armed Kannon, and on the north face an Fudo Myo-o. Also enshrined in the hall are countless swords, bows, armor, mirrors, and other offerings that tell of the miraculous power of Yakushi Nyorai, more than 10,000 of which are now stored in the treasure repository. (Kamakura period, National Treasure)

Yakushi Nyorai Statue
Seated on an octagonal mogesa-style seat, this large, life-size dry-lacquer statue is called “Mine no Yakushi” and is still deeply venerated by many people. The halo is a later addition from the Kamakura period, and on the double circular mandorla are attached the Seven Medicine Buddhas and a thousand small Buddha images. (Nara period, National Treasure)

▶ South Great Gate
This is the main gate of Horyu-ji. It is a three-bay, one-door yatashimon gate, and at the time of the temple’s original construction it stood atop the stone steps in front of the Middle Gate, but it is said to have been moved to its present location as the temple grounds expanded. The original gate burned down in 1435, the 7th year of the Eikyo era, and the present gate was rebuilt in 1438, the 10th year of Eikyo. (Muromachi period, National Treasure)

▶ Dining Hall and Kofuzo Storehouse

Dining Hall
Originally the temple office, or mandokoro, of Horyu-ji, it came to be used in the Heian period as the jikido, the hall where monks ate their meals. Because this building is connected by its eaves to the narrow hall on the south side, it is a Nara-period architectural style known as “sodo.” (Nara period, National Treasure)

Kofuzo Storehouse
This is a storehouse for preserving temple treasures. It is built in the style known as “sokura.” Originally it was an imperial-sealed repository like the Shosoin, but because its opening and closing were entrusted to the monk administrators who managed temples, it came to be called by this name. (Heian period, National Treasure)

▶ East Great Gate and Earthen Wall

East Great Gate
Also called the “Naka-no-mon,” this gate stands between the Saiin and the To-in. It apparently once stood to the south facing on the east side of Mirror Pond, but is said to have been moved to its present location around the Heian period. This gate is a rare trido-style structure and one of the representative buildings of the Nara period. (Nara period, National Treasure)

Earthen Wall
The earthen walls are made by a construction method called hanchiku, in which clay is compacted layer by layer with a pole. At Horyu-ji, these walls include the outer wall called the ogaki extending to the left and right of the South Great Gate, as well as the earthen walls surrounding the various subtemples, each separating its own sacred precinct. The compacted layers of the earthen walls have been gradually weathered by wind and rain, forming stripes that are part of the historic landscape. (Momoyama to Edo periods, Important Cultural Property)