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Prince Shōtoku is said to have constructed this temple in 593. It is the first Buddhist temple in Japan and the oldest officially administered temple one, although the temple buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries. Most of the present structures are from when the temple was last completely rebuilt in 1963. One of the members involved in the initial construction of the temple in the 6th century has later established a firm Kongō Gumi, specialized in temple and shrine buildings over centuries.
Prince Shotoku was known for his profound Buddhist faith when Buddhism was not widespread in Japan.
The Shitennō are the four heavenly kings. The temple Prince Shōtoku built to honor them has four parts, each to help the Japanese attain a higher level of civilization. This Shikai-In (Four Institutions) is centered around the seven-building garan (the complex inside the walls) where a Kyoden-In (Institution of Religion and Education) was housed.
This garan consists of a five-story pagoda, a main Golden Pavilion (Kondō) housing an image of the Nyorai Kannon, and a Kodō (Lecture Hall) under a covered corridor holding three gates (the Deva Gate, the Western Gate, and the Eastern Gate).
Surrounding this central complex are the Great South Gate (Nan Dai Mon), Middle Gate (Chumon), and an East Gate (Higashi no Mon). To the west is a stone torii and to the east of that another gate that is widely accepted as the Eastern Gate to the Western Paradise. To the north of the garan, Prince Shotoku built a Hiden-In (Welfare Institution), a Ryobyo-In (Hospital), and a Seiyaku-In (Pharmacy) to provide essential care to the people of Japan. All four of these institutions are active today. |
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