Kofuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great
Temples in the city of Nara, Japan.
Kofuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 by
Kagami-no-Okimi, the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari, wishing for her husband’s
recovery from illness.
Its original site was in Yamashina, Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto). In
672, the temple was moved to Fujiwara-kyo, the first planned Japanese capital
to copy the orthogonal grid pattern of Chang'an. In 710, the temple was
dismantled for the second time and moved to its present location, on the east
side of the newly constructed capital, Heijo-kyo, today's Nara.
The temple is the national headquarters of the Hosso school.
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Central Golden Hall (Chu-kondo).
The Chu-kondo ("Central kondo") was made between 710 and 714, at the
request of Fujiwara no Fuhito.
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Destroyed by fire in 1717, a small temporary replica was rebuilt in
1819 and demolished in 2000.
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The statues it contained, including some key pieces, had been moved to
avoid deterioration in an annex building to the north of the building.
- It was rebuilt and reopened to the public on October 20, 2018.
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East Golden Hall (To-kondo).
The To-kondo ("Kondo of the east") was erected in 726 by Emperor Shomu
in the hope of curing the former Empress Gensho.
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After two destructions in 1017 and 1046, and two reconstructions in
1027 and 1049, it was again set on fire in 1180 by the Taira.
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The Kamakura government had it rebuilt once again, in 1185, but it
suffered two more fires, in 1356 and 1411.
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The current building dates from 1415 and is classified as a national
treasure.
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Five Story Pagoda (Goju-no-to).
The Goju-no-to ("Five-storey pagoda") was built according to the wishes
of Empress Komyo, wife of Emperor Shomu, and completed in 730.
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This pagoda is about 50 meters high, making it one of the tallest in
Japan.
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It was repeatedly struck by lightning, burned and destroyed (1017,
1060, 1180, 1356 and 1411) but each time rebuilt (1031, 1078, 1205,
1388 and finally, in 1426) in the same “Japanese style” as the
to-kondo.
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However, the fineness of its elements bears witness to the Muromachi
era. It is also considered a national treasure.
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Medicine Buddha inside the East Golden Hall (To-kondo).
Group of statues representing the Medicine Buddha Bhaishajyaguru,
Yakushi Nyorai in Japanese, object of an important cult in Japan since
the seventh century.
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He is surrounded by boddhisattvas Suryaprabha (Light of the Sun),
Nikko Bosatsu in Japanese, and Candraprabha (Light of the Moon), Gakko
Bosatsu, and the Twelve Celestial Generals.
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South Octagonal Hall (Nan’endo).
The South Octagonal Hall (Nan’endo), an octagonal building to the south
of the main building, was founded in 813 by Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu and
rebuilt in 1789. Its bronze lantern is however from the period. It is
only open to the public one day a year, October 17. It is 22 m high.
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The South Octagonal Hall (Nan’endo) is the site No.9 of the Saigoku
Kannon Pilgrimage.
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The Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (Saigoku Sanjusan-sho) is a pilgrimage
of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of
Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
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The principal image in each temple is Kannon, known to Westerners as
the Bodhisattva of Compassion (or sometimes mistranslated as 'Goddess
of Mercy').
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It is traditional for pilgrims to wear white clothing and conical
straw hats and to carry walking sticks.
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While the route was historically traveled by foot, today pilgrims
usually use cars or trains.
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Pilgrims record their progress with a prayer book (Nokyo-cho), which
the temple staff mark with red stamps and Japanese calligraphy
indicating the temple number, the temple name, and the specific name
of the Kannon image.
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See more at
Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage - Wikipedia.
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See also
Source
Location
