is an

archaeological 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 Buddhist temple located in what is now the Sōja neighborhood of city of

Maebashi, Gunma is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 335,352 in 151,171 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It ...

, Japan. The temple no longer exists, but the temple grounds were designated as a National Historic Site by the Japanese government in 1928, with the designated area extended in 2008.

Overview

The site is located on slightly elevated ground between the Hachiman River and the Ushiike River, which flows from the southeastern foot of Mount Haruna through the central part of Gunma Prefecture. The

Kan'etsu Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming is the '' kanji'' acronym of and the old comprising modern-day Niigata Prefecture. Officially, the Kan-Etsu consists of two routes. Bo ...

is about 0.6 kilometers to the west and Japan National Route 17 is to the south. The ruins were discovered in 1921 when the foundation of the

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 Taoi ...

was discovered. Subsequent

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 cond ...

s from 1974 to 1981 and 2006 to 2010 revealed that it was the oldest temple ruin in the Jōmō area (present-day Gunma and Tochigi Prefectures), and one of the earliest in the Kantō region. The temple area is surrounded by a

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against ...

that is 79.7 meters east-to-west and 81 meters north-to-south. The arrangement of buildings was based on that of Hōkō-ji in

Asuka, Nara is a village located in Takaichi District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of April 1, 2017, the village has an estimated population of 5,681, with 2,170 households, and a population density of . The total area is . Asuka is the land where ancie ...

, with the Kondō in the west, the pagoda in the east, and the Lecture Hall to the north, with the cloister connecting the Middle Gate with then Lecture Hall, forming a courtyard surrounding the Kondō and pagoda. The Kondō is approximately 20 meters square. The Lecture Hall was 37.8 by 24.5 meters and the pagoda had a foundation 12.5 meters square. The pagoda cornerstone was especially large, with a diameter of 2.5 to 2.7 meters and a thickness of more than 1.5 meters, and its surface was cut off smoothly. In the center of the stone, a hole with a diameter of about 65 centimeters for the central pillar was pierced. During excavation, the many roof tiles labeled "Kokou-ji" and "Hōkō" were found, and it became clear that Sannō temple ruins corresponded to the temple of Hōkō-ji mentioned in ancient literature and whose name was written on the Yamanoue Stele. From the various styles of roof tiles, it is estimated that the temple existed from the second half of the 7th century to the 11th century. Other artifacts included green-glazed pottery shards, bowls, please and other earthenware, a copper dragon, and numerous fragments of clay votive statues. Some of these artifacts have been designated as National Important Cultural Properties of Japan, including the pagoda foundation stone a brass bowl, four green glazed plates three green glazed bowls and a green glazed water container. The site is located in a residential area and there are no public facilities.

References

External links

Maebashi city home page

Guma Prefecture home page
{{in lang, ja Historic Sites of Japan Maebashi Kōzuke Province Asuka period Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan Former Buddhist temples

Overview

See also

References

External links