Toshodai-ji
Encyclopedia
Tōshōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple
of the Ritsu
sect in the city of Nara
, in Nara Prefecture
, Japan
. The Classic Golden Hall, also known as the kondō
, has a single story, hipped tiled roof with a seven bay wide facade. It is considered the archetype of "classical style."
It was founded by a Chinese
Buddhist monk named Jianzhen
during the Nara period
in the year 759. Jianzhen
was hired by the newly empowered clans to travel in search of funding from private aristocrats as well.
Tōshōdai-ji is one of the places in Nara that UNESCO has designated as World Heritage Site
"Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
".
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref04s5s4290.jpg|Shichidō garan
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref03n4592.jpg|Korō
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref13n4350.jpg|Raidō
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref08n4500.jpg|Hōzō and Kyōzō
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
of the Ritsu
Ritsu
The Ritsu school of Buddhism is one of the six schools of Nara Buddhism in Japan, noted for its use of the Vinaya textual framework of the Dharmaguptaka, one of the early schools of Buddhism...
sect in the city 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...
, in Nara Prefecture
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka 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...
. The Classic Golden Hall, also known as the kondō
Kondo
Kondō is a Japanese surname, and is sometimes used in other contexts.People named Kondo:* Koji Kondo, musician, composer* Dorinne K...
, has a single story, hipped tiled roof with a seven bay wide facade. It is considered the archetype of "classical style."
It was founded by a Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
Buddhist monk named Jianzhen
Jianzhen
Jianzhen was a Chinese monk who helped to propagate Buddhism in Japan. In the eleven years from 743 to 754, Jianzhen attempted to visit Japan some six times.-Life:...
during 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...
in the year 759. Jianzhen
Jianzhen
Jianzhen was a Chinese monk who helped to propagate Buddhism in Japan. In the eleven years from 743 to 754, Jianzhen attempted to visit Japan some six times.-Life:...
was hired by the newly empowered clans to travel in search of funding from private aristocrats as well.
Tōshōdai-ji is one of the places in Nara that UNESCO has designated as World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
"Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara encompasses eight places in the old capital Nara in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Five are Buddhist temples, one is a Shinto shrine, one is a Palace and one a primeval forest. The properties include 26 buildings designated by the Japanese...
".
Building list
- Golden HallMain Hall (Japanese Buddhism)Main hall is the term used in English for the building within a Japanese Buddhist temple compound which enshrines the main object of veneration. Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English term translates several Japanese words, among them Butsuden,...
- National Treasure of Japan. It was built at the Nara period (710 to 794). - KorōKoroKoro is a Japanese incense burner or censer often used in Japanese tea ceremonies.Examples are usually of globular form with three feet, made in pottery, Imari porcelain, Kakiemon, Satsuma, enamel or bronze....
- National Treasure of Japan. It was rebuilt in 1240. - Kōdō (Lecture Hall) - National Treasure of Japan. It was built at the Nara period (710 to 794).
- HōzōHozoHozo is a graphical ontology editor especially created to produce heavy-weight and well thought out ontologies. It was developed in Japan through a partnership between the Department of Knowledge Systems , ISIR-Osaka University, and Enegate Co, Ltd.-External links:* * *...
(Treasure House) - National Treasure of Japan. It was built at the Nara period (710 to 794). - KyōzōKyōzōin Japanese Buddhist architecture is a repository for sūtras and chronicles of the temple history. It is also called , , or . In ancient times the kyōzō was placed opposite the belfry on the east-west axis of the temple. The earliest extant kyōzō is at Hōryū-ji, and it is a two-storied structure....
(Sutra Storehouse) - National Treasure of Japan. It was built at the Nara period (710 to 794). - Mieidō - Important Cultural PropertyImportant Cultural Properties of JapanThe 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....
. - RaidōRaidôKate Thornton is an English journalist and television presenter. Early in her career, she was notable for her articles at the Daily Mirror and for her role as editor of Smash Hits magazine...
- Important Cultural Property. - Shinden - Important Cultural Property.
- NandaimonSanmonA , also called is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen shichidō garan, the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be however often found in temples of other denominations too...
Gallery
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref04s5s4290.jpg|Shichidō garan
Shichidō garan
is a Japanese Buddhist term indicating the seven halls composing the ideal Buddhist temple compound. This compound word is composed by the word , literally meaning "seven halls", and , meaning "temple". The term is often shortened to just garan. To which seven halls the term refers to varies, and...
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref03n4592.jpg|Korō
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref13n4350.jpg|Raidō
File:Toshodaiji Nara Nara pref08n4500.jpg|Hōzō and Kyōzō
See also
- For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese BuddhismGlossary of Japanese BuddhismThis 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...
. - List of National Treasures of Japan (sculptures)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (temples)
- Tourism in JapanTourism in JapanTourism in Japan attracted 8.3 million foreign visitors in 2008, slightly more than Singapore and Ireland. Japan has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto . Kyoto receives over 30 million tourists annually...