was founded during the Asuka period

Asuka period

The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...

 and is one of the Seven Great Temples

Nanto Shichi Daiji

Nanto Shichi Daiji , literally "the seven great temples of Nanto " is a historical common name generally referring to the powerful and influential seven Buddhist temples located in Nara...

 of Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

History

The Nihon Shoki

Nihon Shoki

The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...

 records the founding of the , predecessor of the Daian-ji, in 639 during the reign of Emperor Jomei

Emperor Jomei

was the 34th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641.-Traditional narrative:Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or...

. A nine story pagoda was added shortly afterwards. Moved during the reign of Emperor Temmu

Emperor Temmu

was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...

, excavations have uncovered the foundations of the site of the , as it was then known, seven hundred metres to the south of Mount Kagu. Like the Yakushi-ji

Yakushi-ji

is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism...

, and Gangō-ji

Gango-ji

is an ancient Buddhist temple, that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, in Nara, Japan.-History:The original foundation of the temple was by Soga no Umako in Asuka, as Asuka-dera...

, the temple relocated to the new capital of Heijō-kyō

Heijo-kyo

Heijō-kyō , was the capital city of Japan during most of the Nara period, from 710–40 and again from 745–84. The Palace site is a listed UNESCO World Heritage together with other places in the city of Nara Heijō-kyō (平城京, also Heizei-kyō, sometimes Nara no miyako), was the capital city of Japan...

 in 716/7, and it was rebuilt as the Daian-ji in 729. Its importance declined when the capital moved again to Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

 at the end of the Nara period

Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...

. A succession of fires, a typhoon in 1459 and earthquakes in 1585 and 1596 destroyed most of the temple. The stone bases of the former twin pagodas were removed for reuse at Kashihara Jingū

Kashihara Shrine

The is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan.Kashihara Shrine was built in 1889 at the site of the Kashihara-gū where Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, is said to have acceded to the throne.-Access:...

 in 1889, while the ruins of the other buildings lie in adjacent properties.

Treasures

The temple houses nine statues in a style known as Daianji-yoshiki, but the acclaimed statue of Sakyamuni, said by the twelfth-century Oe no Chikamichi in Shichidaiji

Nanto Shichi Daiji

Nanto Shichi Daiji , literally "the seven great temples of Nanto " is a historical common name generally referring to the powerful and influential seven Buddhist temples located in Nara...

 Junrei

Junrei

Junrei is the word most commonly used for either of two major types of pilgrimages in Japan, in accordance with Buddhism or Shinto. These pilgrimages can be made as a visit to a group of temples, shrines, or other holy sites, in a particular order, often in a circuit of 33 or 88 sites. Other...

 Shiki to have been the finest work in Nara, is now lost. The following Nara period

Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...

 statues have been designated as Important Cultural Properties

Important Cultural Properties of Japan

The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....

: a Jūichimen Kannon, Senjū Kannon, Fukūkensaku Kannon, Yōryū Kannon, Shō Kannon, and a set of Four Heavenly Kings

Four Heavenly Kings

In the Buddhist faith, the Four Heavenly Kings are four gods, each of whom watches over one cardinal direction of the world.The Kings are collectively named as follows:...

. Temple records of the Tenpyō

Tenpyo

, also romanized as Tempyō, was a after Jinki and before Tenpyō-kanpō. This period spanned the years from August 729 through April 749. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...

 era (747) have also been designated an Important Cultural Property

Important Cultural Properties of Japan

The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....

 and are now held in Chiba Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...

.

See also

• Nanto Shichi Daiji
  Nanto Shichi Daiji
  Nanto Shichi Daiji , literally "the seven great temples of Nanto " is a historical common name generally referring to the powerful and influential seven Buddhist temples located in Nara...
  
  
• For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
  Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
  This is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries...
  
  .