A is a
Japanese pagoda
Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō''
Pagodas in Japan are called , sometimes or and historically derive from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were origi ...
, so called because it originally contained the .
[Iwanami Kōjien Japanese dictionary] A Chinese variant of the Indian
stūpa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumambu ...
, it was originally conceived as a cenotaph of the King of
Wuyue –
.
Structure and function
Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood, ''hōkyōintō'' started to be made in their present form during the
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
.
Like a ''
gorintō
("five-ringed tower") is a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposesKōjien Japanese Dictionary and is therefore ...
'', they are divided in five main sections called (from the bottom up) , or "inverted flower seat", , or base, , or body, , or umbrella, and , or pagoda finial.
The ''tōshin'' is the most important part of the ''hōkyōintō'' and is carved with a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
letter.
The ''
sōrin'' has the same shape as the tip of a five-storied pagoda.
The ''kasa'' can also be called , or roof.
It's decorated with four characteristic wings called
or .
Different structures exist, and the ''hōkyōintō'' property of the Yatsushiro Municipal Museum in Kyushu for example is divided in just four parts, with no ''kaeribanaza''.
The sūtra contain all the pious deeds of a
Tathagata Buddha, and the faithful believe that praying in front of a ''hōkyōintō'' their sins will be canceled, during their lives they will be protected from disasters and after death they will go to heaven.
[Yatsushiro Municipal Museum]
The ''hōkyōintō'' tradition in Japan is old and is believed to have begun during the
Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...
(550–710 CE).
They used to be made of wood and started to be made in stone only during the Kamakura period.
It is also during this period that they started to be used also as tombstones and cenotaphs.
Gallery
File:Taizita.jpg, in Mount Putuo
Image:HuiAn - Luoyang Bridge - P1240001.JPG, in Quanzhou
Image:Baoqieshita.JPG, in Beijing
Image:Ishiyamadera5435.JPG, Hōkyōintō at Ishiyama-dera
is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. This temple is the thirteenth of the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage.
History
It was constructed around 747 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōben. The temple contains a number of cu ...
( Otsu)
Image:Onsenji05 2048.jpg, Hōkyōintō at Onsen-ji ( Toyooka)
Image:Hojo-Masako's-Hokyointo.jpg, Hōjō Masako
was a Japanese politician who exercised significant power in the early years of the Kamakura period, which was reflected by her contemporary sobriquet of the "nun shogun". She was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and mother of Minamoto no Yo ...
's Hōkyōintō (Kamakura)
Image:Mizumadera hokyointo.jpg, Hōkyōintō at Mizuma-dera near Osaka
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 ...
File:Hokyoin-to.JPG, Hokyoin-to in Sensō-ji
is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. It is dedicated to Kan ...
. It provides evidence of casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...
techniques used in the 18th century
File:Hokyointo_in_Koshu-ji.jpg, Hōkyōintō at Kōshū-ji (Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...
)
Notes
References
* Iwanami Japanese dictionary Sixth Edition, DVD Version
Shinkō no Katachi - Hōkyōintō Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, accessed on September 18, 2008
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hokyointo
Cemeteries in Japan
Buddhism in Japan