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Niōmon
is the Japanese name of a Buddhist temple gate guarded by two wooden warriors called Niō (lit. Two Kings). The gate is called Heng Ha Er Jiang (哼哈二将) in China and Geumgangmun (금강문) in Korea. The two statues are inside the two posts of the gate itself, one at the left, one at the right. Structurally, it usually is either a ''rōmon'' or a ''nijūmon'' and can measure either 5x2 or 3x2 ''bays''. It can sometimes have just one story, as in the case of Asakusa's Kaminarimon. In a five-bay gate, the figures of the two Niō are usually enshrined in the two outer bays, but can be sometimes found also in the inner ones. The statue on the right is called and has his mouth open to utter the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is pronounced "a". The left statue is called and has his mouth closed, representing the last letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, pronounced "um". These two letters (''a-un'' in Japanese) together symbolize the birth and death of all things. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buddhist Temples In Japan
Buddhist temples or Buddhist monasteries together with Shinto shrines, are considered to be amongst the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In Japanese the first are called , the second . The shogunates or leaders of Japan have made it a priority to update and rebuild Buddhist temples since the Momoyama period. The Japanese word for a Buddhist monastery is ( ''kun'' reading) and the same kanji also has the pronunciation ''ji'' (''on'' reading), so that temple names frequently end in ''-dera'' or ''-ji''. Another ending, , is normally used to refer to minor temples. Such famous temples as Kiyomizu-dera, Enryaku-ji and Kōtoku-in are temples which use the described naming pattern. Etymology The Japanese word for a Buddhist temple was anciently also written phonetically 天良, '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niō
are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the oldest and most powerful of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. According to scriptures like the Pāli Canon as well as the ''Ambaṭṭha Sutta'', they travelled with Gautama Buddha to protect him. Within the generally pacifist tradition of Buddhism, stories of dharmapalas justified the use of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil. They are also seen as a manifestation of Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of power that flanks Amitābha in Pure Land Buddhism and as Vajrasattva in Tibetan Buddhism. Manifestations Symbolic meaning They are usually portrayed as a pair of figures that stand guarding temple entrance gates usually called '' Shānmén'' (山門) in China, in Japan and ''Geumgangmun'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rōmon
The is one of two types of two-storied gate used in Japan (the other one being the ''nijūmon'', see photo in the gallery below). Even though it was originally developed by Buddhist architecture, it is now used at both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Its otherwise normal upper story is inaccessible and therefore offers no usable space. It is in this respect similar to the ''tahōtō'' (a two-storied pagoda) and the multi-storied pagoda, neither of which offers, in spite of appearances, usable space beyond the first story. In the past, the name also used to be sometimes applied to double-roof gates. This extremely common single-roof gate was developed from the double-roofed ''nijūmon'', replacing the flanking roof above the first floor with a very shallow balcony with a balustrade that skirts the entire upper story. Therefore, while the ''nijūmon'' has a series of brackets ('' tokyō'') supporting the roof's eaves both at the first and at the second story, in the ''rōmon' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nijūmon
is one of two types of two-story gate presently used in Japan (the other one being the ''rōmon'', see photo in the gallery below), and can be found at most Japanese Buddhist temples. This gate is distinguishable from its relative by the roof above the first floor which skirts the entire upper story, absent in a ''rōmon''. Accordingly, it has a series of brackets ('' tokyō'') supporting the roof's eaves both at the first and at the second story. In a ''rōmon'', the brackets support a balcony. The ''tokyō'' are usually three-stepped ( ''mitesaki'') with tail rafters at the third step.For details, see the article Tokyō. A ''nijūmon'' is normally covered by a hip-and-gable roof. Unlike a ''rōmon'', whose second story is inaccessible and unusable, a ''nijūmon'' has stairs leading to the second story. Some gates have at their ends two , 2 x 1 bay structures housing the stairs. The second story of a ''nijūmon'' usually contains statues of Shakyamuni or of goddess Kannon, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken (architecture)
The is a traditional Japanese unit of length, equal to six Japanese feet (''shaku''). The exact value has varied over time and location but has generally been a little shorter than .JAANUS It is now standardized as 1.82 m. Although mostly supplanted by the metric system, this unit is a common measurement in Japanese architecture, where it is used as a proportion for the intervals between the pillars of traditional-style buildings. In this context, it is commonly translated as "bay". The length also appears in other contexts, such as the standard length of the '' bō'' staff in Japanese martial arts and the standard dimensions of the tatami mats. As these are used to cover the floors of most Japanese houses, floor surfaces are still commonly measured not in square meters but in "tatami" which are equivalent to half of a square ken. Word Among English loanwords of Japanese origin, both ''ken'' and '' ma'' are derived from readings of the same character . This kanji graphic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the . History The development of Asakusa as an entertainment district during the Edo period came about in part because of the neighboring district, Kuramae. Kuramae was a district of storehouses for rice, which was then used as payment for servants of the feudal government. The keepers () of these storage houses initially stored the rice for a small fee, but over the years began exchanging the rice for money or selling it to local shopkeepers at a margin. Through such trading, many came to have a considerable amount of disposable income and as result theaters and geisha houses began to spring up in nearby Asakusa. For most of the 20th century, Asakusa remained a major entertainment district in Tokyo. The or "Sixth District" was in particular famous a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaminarimon
The is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji (the inner being the Hōzōmon) in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. The gate, with its lantern and statues, is popular with tourists. It stands 11.7 m tall, 11.4 m wide and covers an area of 69.3 m2. The first gate was built in 941, but the current gate dates from 1960, after the previous gate was destroyed in a fire in 1865. History The Kaminarimon was first built in 941 AD by Taira no Kinmasa, a military commander. It was originally located near Komagata, but it was reconstructed in its current location in 1635. This is believed to be when the gods of wind and thunder were first placed on the gate. The gate has been destroyed many times throughout the ages. Four years after its relocation, the Kaminarimon burned down, and in 1649 AD, Tokugawa Iemitsu had the gate rebuilt along with several other of the major structures in the temple complex. The gate burned to the ground in 1757 AD and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A-un
''Om'' (or ''Aum'') (; sa, ॐ, ओम्, Ōṃ, translit-std=IAST) is a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, or an invocation in Hinduism. ''Om'' is the prime symbol of Hinduism.Krishna Sivaraman (2008), ''Hindu Spirituality Vedas Through Vedanta'', Motilal Banarsidass, , page 433 It is variously said to be the essence of the supreme Absolute, consciousness,James Lochtefeld (2002), "Om", ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism'', Vol. 2: N-Z, Rosen Publishing. , page 482Om . ''Merriam-Webster'' (2013), Pronounced: \ˈōm\ '' Ātman,'' '','' or the cosmic world.David Leeming (2005), '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mon (architecture)
is a generic Japanese term for gate often used, either alone or as a suffix, in referring to the many gates used by Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and traditional-style buildings and castles. Significance Unlike gates of secular buildings, most temple and shrine gates are purely symbolic elements of liminality, as they cannot be completely closed and just mark the transition between the mundane and the sacred. In many cases, for example that of the ''sanmon'', a temple gate has purifying, cleansing properties. Description Gate size is measured in ''ken'', where a ''ken'' is the interval between two pillars of a traditional-style building. A temple's ''rōmon'' for example can have dimensions from a maximum of 5x2 ''ken'' to a more common 3x2 ''ken'', down to even one ''ken''. The word is usually translated in English as "bay" and is better understood as an indication of proportions than as a unit of measurement. Like the temples they belong to, gates can be in the '' way ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gates In Japan
Gates is the plural of gate, a point of entry to a space which is enclosed by walls. It may also refer to: People * Gates (surname), various people with the last name * Gates Brown (1939-2013), American Major League Baseball player * Gates McFadden (born 1949), American actress and choreographer * Gates P. Thruston (1835-1912), American Civil War veteran, lawyer and businessman * Josephine Gates Kelly (1888-1976), Native American activist Places Canada * Gates, British Columbia, Canada, a rural community ** Gates River, a river in British Columbia ** Gates Valley, a valley in British Columbia ** Gates Lake, at the head of the Gates River United States * Gates, Nebraska, an unincorporated community * Gates, New York, a town ** Gates (CDP), New York, census-designated place * Gates, Oregon, a city * Gates, Tennessee, a town * Gates County, North Carolina, United States ** Gates, North Carolina, an unincorporated community in the county * Gates Pass, Arizona, a mountain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Architectural Features
Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspora, Japanese emigrants and their descendants around the world * Japanese citizens, nationals of Japan under Japanese nationality law ** Foreign-born Japanese, naturalized citizens of Japan * Japanese writing system, consisting of kanji and kana * Japanese cuisine, the food and food culture of Japan See also * List of Japanese people * * Japonica (other) * Japonicum * Japonicus * Japanese studies Japanese studies (Japanese: ) or Japan studies (sometimes Japanology in Europe), is a sub-field of area studies or East Asian studies involved in social sciences and humanities research on Japan. It incorporates fields such as the study of Japa ... {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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