Shitennō-ji ( ja, 四天王寺, ''Temple of the

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods, each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. In Chinese mythology, they are known collectively as the "Fēng Tiáo Yǔ Shùn" () or "Sìdà Tiānwáng" (). In the ...

'') is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

in Ōsaka,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

. It is also known as Arahaka-ji, Nanba-ji, or Mitsu-ji. The temple is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially-administered temple in Japan, although the temple complex and buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries, with the last reconstruction taking place in 1963. It is the head temple of the Wa Sect of Buddhism.

History

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half- ...

was known for his profound Buddhist faith when

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

was not widespread in Japan during the 6th century. In order to popularize Buddhism, Prince Shōtoku lead a massive national project to promote Buddhism and he commissioned the construction of Shitennō-ji. Prince Shōtoku invited three Korean carpenters from

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder J ...

. They brought knowledge and led the construction of Shitennō-ji. The commission of Shitennō-ji was part of a massive national project led by Prince Shōtoku. The temple buildings themselves have been rebuilt a few times 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 later established the firm Kongō Gumi, which specialized in temple and shrine buildings. Kongō Gumi was the world's oldest company until it was acquired by the Takamatsu Construction Group in 2004. Shitennô-ji Model.jpg, Model of the temple complex at the time of its construction, at Osaka Prefectural Chikatsu Asuka Museum. Shitennō-ji main hall and pagoda.png, Tinted photo of the larger main hall and pagoda around 1880, prior to the downscaled modern reconstruction. Taken by Kusakabe Kimbei. 1934 Typhoon Muroto damage at Shitenno-ji.jpg, The rubble of the five-tiered pagoda after destruction by the 1934 Muroto typhoon.

Description

" Shitennō" refer to the

in Buddhism. The temple Prince Shōtoku built to honor them had four institutions, each to help the Japanese attain a higher level of civilization. This was centered on the seven-building (the complex inside the walls), and included a , a , a , and a to provide essential care to the people of Japan. Three of the four sections are known to have existed inside the temple in Kamakura period. The consists of a five-story pagoda, a main Golden Pavilion () housing an image of the Bodhisattva Kannon, and a under a covered corridor holding three gates; the (also known as the ), the Western Gate, and the Eastern Gate. Surrounding this central complex are the , and a . To the west is the , also known as . Further to the west is a stone

torii A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simple ...

, which is imagined to be the Eastern Gate to Sukhavati, the Pure Land of the West. In the Kameido hall is a 7th century turtle-shaped stonework that was used for state rituals with water. These are 2 turtle-shaped objects in opposite direction. The stone tank and upper turtle's base were carved from single pieces of Tatsuyama stone. These are similar to the carving at the Sakafuneishi ruins which are believed to be a ritual site for Empress Kōgyoku (594-661) in Asuka, Nara Prefecture. Nowadays they are still used for rituals to commemorate ancestors by floating sheets of wood with their names on the water. Souvenirs of Shitennō-ji are sold on the 21st of each month.

Access

*a 5-minute walk from Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Tanimachi Line. *a 15-minute walk from Tennoji Station on the

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and i ...

Lines and the Osaka Municipal Subway Lines. *a 15-minute walk from

Osaka Abenobashi Station is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line.

Gallery

File:Shitennoji - pagoda.jpg, Shitennō-ji

pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

File:Shitennoji07s3200.jpg, Kondō File:Shitennoji01s3200.jpg, The Great West Gate (Gokuraku-mon) File:Shitennoji daimon1.jpg, The Great East Gate File:Shitennoji daimon.jpg, The Great South Gate () File:Shitennoji4.jpg, Northern belfry File:Shitennoji-taishi-indoushoudo.jpg, Southern belfry File:Shitennoji-torii.jpg, Stone torii File:Shitennoji06s3200.jpg, Courtyard File:Shitenno-ji Niomon zou1.jpg, Niōmon File:Shitenno-ji Niomon zou2.jpg, Niōmon File:Shitennoji_daimon_nio1.jpg, Daimon 1 File:Shitennoji_daimon_nio2.jpg, Daimon 2 File:Shitennoji-KoboDaishi2 Osaka 20101013.jpg, Statuettes of Kūkai

References

External links