is an
archeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
with the ruins of a
Hakuhō period
The was an unofficial of Emperor TenmuNussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hakuhō''" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File. after '' Hakuchi'' and before '' Such ...
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...
located in the Ohara neighborhood of the city of
Kurayoshi
270px, Kurayoshi City Hall
270px, Kurayoshi Utsubuki-Tamagawa Historic Preservation District
270px, View from Utsubuki Castle ruins
is a city located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 44 ...
,
Tottori prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...
, in the
San'in region
The is an area in the southwest of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It consists of the northern part of the Chūgoku region, facing the Sea of Japan. Specifically, it is the two prefectures of Shimane Prefecture, Shimane and Tottori Prefecture ...
of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. The foundations of its
Japanese pagoda
Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō''
Pagodas in Japan are called , sometimes or , and derive historically from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were ori ...
were designated as a
National Historic Site in 1935.
History
The Ōhara temple ruins are located on a hill on the right bank of the Takeda River. In 1934, the foundation of a large
Japanese pagoda
Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō''
Pagodas in Japan are called , sometimes or , and derive historically from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were ori ...
was discovered during land reclamation. The central foundation stone is 2.9 x 2.8 meters wide, and has a 65-cm diameter hole in the center, making it one of the largest in the San'in region. A stone wall presumed to be an earthen altar was also found, and
roof tile
Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out precipitation such as rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate. Later tiles have been made from materials such as concrete, glass ...
s were unearthed nearby. Based on the style of the roof tiles, it is estimated that the pagoda was built before the latter half of the 8th century. In
archaeological excavation
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
s starting in 1985, the foundation stones of the
Main Hall, and Lecture Hall were discovered. The layout of the temple appears to be based on that of
Hokki-ji
– formerly known as and – is a Buddhist temple temple in the Okamoto neighborhood of the town of Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple's honorary '' sangō'' prefix is , although it is rarely used.
The temple was constructed to ho ...
in
Ikaruga, Nara
file:Horyu-ji10s3200.jpg, 280px, Horyu-ji
is a List of towns in Japan, town in Ikoma District, Nara, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 28,036 in 12,292 households, and a population density of 2000 persons per km2. The total area of ...
. The pagoda foundations were also confirmed to be about 10 meters on each side. This temple does not appear in any historical record, so its actual name and history are unknown. The artifacts discovered are preserved in the Kurayoshi Museum, and the ruins of the temple are open to the public.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Tottori)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Tottori Prefecture, Tottori.
National Historic Sites
As of 29 February 2024, thirty-five Sites have been Cultural Properties o ...
References
External links
Tottori prefecture home pageKurayoshi City home page
{{Buddhist temples in Japan
Historic Sites of Japan
Kurayoshi, Tottori
Hōki Province
Asuka period
Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan