NEWS

Remains of Ninth Century Buddhist Pagoda and Hall Found at Site of Kyoto Temple

By Craig Lewis | | Buddhistdoor Global

The stone foundations for a ninth century Buddhist teaching hall and a five-story pagoda have been uncovered at the site of a long-vanished Buddhist temple in Kyoto, city officials announced on Friday. The structures would have been part of the ancient temple of Sai-ji, which was founded in 796 CE together with its still-extant sister temple To-ji, now a listed UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The construction of the temples followed the relocation of the Japanese capital to Heian-kyo (one of several former names for what is now Kyoto) in 794 from the former capital Nagaoka-kyo, marking the beginning of Japan’s Heian period (794–1185). “These are very valuable findings to know about what it was really like at Sai-ji . . . a major temple which along with its counterpart To-ji . . . was one of Heian-kyo’s signature structures,” city officials said on Friday. (The Mainichi) According to the city of Kyoto’s department for the protection of cultural assets, the finds mark the first-ever discovery of structural remains from Sai-ji. Records indicate that most of Sai-ji was destroyed by fire in 990, and the remaining five-story pagoda burned down in 1233, during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

“I was surprised that structural elements of Sai-ji . . . remain in such good condition,” said Kindai University archaeology professor Nobuya Ami. “It is an epochal find for understanding Heian period buildings.” (The Mainichi) Sai-ji and To-ji (the “sai” in Sai-ji means “west,” and the “to” in To-ji means east) were two of only three Buddhist temples permitted in the capital at the time, together with Shingon-in housed in the imperial palace. Based on the location, size, and estimated date of construction, researchers posit that the recently discovered architectural ruins include the base of a five-story pagoda at Sai-ji. According to historical records, Sai-ji was home to a pagoda similar to the five-story wooden example that still stands at To-ji. The historical document Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku (True History of Three Reigns of Japan), excavation survey records, and other sources indicate that Sai-ji and To-ji were built symmetrically on either side of Heian-kyo’s city gate known Rajomon.