Kofuku-ji Temple
Scan from a slide by my father Bill Enking, taken sometime between 1950-52.
This is the Nan'en-dō (South Octagonal Hall).
Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 by Kagami-no-Ōkimi, the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari, wishing for her husbands’s recovery from illness. Its original site was in Yamashina, Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto). In 672, the temple was moved to Fujiwara-kyō, the first planned Japanese capital to copy the orthogonal grid pattern of Chang'an. In 710 the temple was dismantled for the second time and moved to its present location, on the east side of the newly constructed capital, Heijō-kyō, today's Nara.
Kōfuku-ji was the Fujiwara's tutelary temple, and enjoyed as much prosperty, and as long as the family did. The temple was not only an important center for the Buddhist religion, but also retained influence over the imperial government, and even by "aggressive means" in some cases. When many of the Nanto Shichi Daiji such as Tōdai-ji -declined after the move of capital to Heian-kyō (Kyoto), Kōfuku-ji kept its significance because of its connection to the Fujiwara. The temple was damaged and destroyed by civil wars and fires many times, and was rebuilt as many times as well, although finally some of the important buildings, such as two of the three golden halls, the nandaimon, chūmon and the corridor were never reconstructed and are missing today.
The following are some of the temple's buildings and treasures of note.
Architecture
Tōkon-dō (East Golden Hall), 1425, one of the former three golden halls (National Treasure) - the Chūkon-dō (Central Golden Hall) is currently being reconstructed.
Five-storied pagoda (gojū-no-tō), 1426 (National Treasure)
Three-storied pagoda, 1185-1274 (National Treasure)
Hoku'en-dō (North Octagonal Hall), 1210 (National Treasure)
Nan'en-dō (South Octagonal Hall), 1741, Site No.9 of Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage (Important Cultural Property)
Ōyūya (Bath House) 1394-1427 (Important Cultural Property)
Treasures
(Statue) The Devas of the Eight Classes, including dry-lacquer Ashura (National Treasure)
(Statue) The Ten Great Disciples (National Treasure)
(Statue) Thousand-armed Kannon (National Treasure)
(Statue) Fukūkansaku Kannon attributed to Kōkei, is housed in Nan'en-dō (National Treasure)
Kofuku-ji Temple
Scan from a slide by my father Bill Enking, taken sometime between 1950-52.
This is the Nan'en-dō (South Octagonal Hall).
Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 by Kagami-no-Ōkimi, the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari, wishing for her husbands’s recovery from illness. Its original site was in Yamashina, Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto). In 672, the temple was moved to Fujiwara-kyō, the first planned Japanese capital to copy the orthogonal grid pattern of Chang'an. In 710 the temple was dismantled for the second time and moved to its present location, on the east side of the newly constructed capital, Heijō-kyō, today's Nara.
Kōfuku-ji was the Fujiwara's tutelary temple, and enjoyed as much prosperty, and as long as the family did. The temple was not only an important center for the Buddhist religion, but also retained influence over the imperial government, and even by "aggressive means" in some cases. When many of the Nanto Shichi Daiji such as Tōdai-ji -declined after the move of capital to Heian-kyō (Kyoto), Kōfuku-ji kept its significance because of its connection to the Fujiwara. The temple was damaged and destroyed by civil wars and fires many times, and was rebuilt as many times as well, although finally some of the important buildings, such as two of the three golden halls, the nandaimon, chūmon and the corridor were never reconstructed and are missing today.
The following are some of the temple's buildings and treasures of note.
Architecture
Tōkon-dō (East Golden Hall), 1425, one of the former three golden halls (National Treasure) - the Chūkon-dō (Central Golden Hall) is currently being reconstructed.
Five-storied pagoda (gojū-no-tō), 1426 (National Treasure)
Three-storied pagoda, 1185-1274 (National Treasure)
Hoku'en-dō (North Octagonal Hall), 1210 (National Treasure)
Nan'en-dō (South Octagonal Hall), 1741, Site No.9 of Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage (Important Cultural Property)
Ōyūya (Bath House) 1394-1427 (Important Cultural Property)
Treasures
(Statue) The Devas of the Eight Classes, including dry-lacquer Ashura (National Treasure)
(Statue) The Ten Great Disciples (National Treasure)
(Statue) Thousand-armed Kannon (National Treasure)
(Statue) Fukūkansaku Kannon attributed to Kōkei, is housed in Nan'en-dō (National Treasure)