Overview of Tōji Temple
Overview of Tōji Temple
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Tōji is the oldest Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It was founded in 796, only two years after the city itself was established under Emperor Kanmu (735–806). Tōji was built to provide spiritual protection for the Imperial Court, the new capital city, and the country as a whole. At the time, Tōji was one of only two temples allowed within the city boundaries. Literally “East Temple,” Tōji is located to the east of what was then the main gate of the capital. Its counterpart, Saiji or “West Temple,” burned down in 1233 and was never rebuilt.
Tōji is closely associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai (774–835), the scholar, architect, and calligrapher known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi, or “Great Teacher of Buddhist Doctrine.” Kūkai traveled to China in 804 to study the teachings and rituals of esoteric Buddhism, which had spread from India to China during the rule of the Tang dynasty (618–907). Esoteric Buddhism is known for the prominent use of mandalas, which are visual depictions of Buddhist cosmology. Mandalas can be found throughout Tōji in paintings, buildings, and the arrangement of statues.
Kūkai returned to Japan in 806 and began teaching what he had learned in China. In 823, Emperor Saga (786–842) appointed Kūkai to lead Tōji, and he became the abbot the next year. By this point, he had formalized his teachings into the Shingon school of esoteric Buddhism. Kūkai accepted the post at Tōji on the condition that only Shingon would be practiced at the temple. This was a radical departure from the common practice at the time of multiple schools practicing at the same temple. As abbot, Kūkai refashioned the temple, expanding it with new buildings including the Lecture Hall and the five-story pagoda.
Like the rest of Kyoto, Tōji has survived more than twelve centuries of fires, earthquakes, wars, and other disasters. Many of its structures have been rebuilt, sometimes more than once. A devastating fire swept through the complex in 1486, and for more than a century afterward, repair efforts were hampered by civil war. Most of Tōji’s buildings date from the late-1400s to the mid-1600s. Five of its structures are designated National Treasures, as is much of the temple’s religious art. In 1994, UNESCO designated Tōji as a World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto site.
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Shingon school
A Buddhist sect founded by Kukai, who established Mt. Koya as a place of worship.
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Emperor Saga
The 52nd emperor of Japan, reigning from 786 to 842. He was a son of Emperor Kanmu.
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Tang
A Chinese dynasty (618–907)
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Saiji
A state-sponsored temple was established west of the Rajomon gate alongside Toji to provide spiritual protection for the nation.
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Emperor Kanmu
The 50th emperor, who lived from 737–806. Responsible for relocating the capital from Heijo-kyo (present day Nara) to Nagaoka-kyo, and then to Heian-kyo (present day Kyoto).
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Mandala
A pictorial depiction of various deities from esoteric Buddhism according to its doctrines. Mandala, in Sanskrit, means “that which has an essence.”
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cypress bark
A unique Japanese roofing method that involves laying Japanese cypress bark and fastening it with bamboo nails. This technique is durable and results in a beautiful finish.
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veranda
Refers to the boarded passage section established on the outside of a main building. The veranda of a formal room consists of a hiroen, with an additional, lower extension called an otoshi-en, producing a wide opening.
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abbot (betto)
The title of an official stationed at major temples and shrines.
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shoin-zukuri
Refers to a wide range of seating areas and buildings equipped with zashiki-kazari (a type of interior decoration). Emphasizing formality and the functions of receiving guests and holding meetings, the shoin-zukuri style has been passed down to the present day, serving as the prototype for modern Japanese-style rooms.
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gable
Generally, a triangle bargeboard that is located on the side of gable roofs where both sides of the roofs meet.
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Azuchi-Momoyama period
This historical period refers to the time from 1568, when Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to 1598, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi passed away, or alternatively until 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu was appointed as the Shogun and established the Edo shogunate.
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Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was a swordsman from the early Edo period. As both a military strategist and artist, he founded the Niten Ichi-ryu school of swordsmanship, which uses two swords. Known for his battles against the Yoshioka clan in Kyoto and his duel with Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryu Island.
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Goho
Goho was a scholar monk of the Shingon sect during the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392). He served as the first leader of Kanchi-in at Toji from 1306 to 1362.
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jaki
In Buddhism, jaki are considered malevolent beings that defile the teachings of the Buddha. The imagery of the Four Heavenly Kings trampling on jakis is, therefore, said to symbolize the suppression of worldly desires.
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Masters of Esoteric Buddhism
Eight monks from India, China, and Japan who transmitted and preserved the teachings of Esoteric Shingon Buddhism: Nagarjuna, Nagabodhi, Vajrabodhi, Amoghavajra, Subhakarasimha, Yi Xing, Huiguo, and Kukai.
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Five Great Buddhas
The Five Wisdoms possessed by Dainichi Nyorai are said to be distributed among the Five Buddhas of the Diamond World. These Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Diamond World are represented by five figures: Dainichi Nyorai, Ashuku Nyorai, Hosho Nyorai, Amida Nyorai, and Fukujoju Nyorai.
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Diamond World Mandala
The Mandala based on the Vajrasekhara Sutra. The Diamond World Mandala is said to represent the wisdom of Dainichi Nyorai. Together with the Garbhadhatu Mandala, they are known as the Mandala of the Two Realms.
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Dainichi Nyorai
The principal deity of esoteric Buddhism, regarded as representing the truth of the universe.
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Shingon Buddhism
The school of Japanese esoteric Buddhism founded as Shingon by Kobo Daishi (Kukai), who received his teachings from the Chinese master Huiguo during the Tang dynasty.
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central column
A central pillar set in the heart of a stupa or pagoda, rising from the base stone and extending through the top to support the finial above the roof. It is said to symbolize the spot where the Buddha’s relics are enshrined.
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Siddhartha Gautama
The founder of Buddhism, also known as the Buddha. “Shaka” is a shortened form of Shakyamuni, meaning a saint from the Shakya clan.
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sacred relics
The tradition of venerating the Buddha's ashes evolved into the practice of relic worship. Following its introduction to Japan, the worship of enshrining relics in pagodas became widespread, leading to the construction of five-story and three-story pagodas.
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Tokugawa Iemitsu
Iemitsu (1604-1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, was the son of the second shogun Hidetada and the daughter of Oichi, the sister of Oda Nobunaga, named Ogo.
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beams
Horizontal structural elements of buildings. They support loads such as roofs, floors, and walls, transferring the weight to columns and walls, ensuring the overall strength of the building.
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Great-Buddha-Hall style
Also known as the Tenjiku style, an architectural style introduced from China by Chogen during the Kamakura period. It is known for being robust and well-suited for large wooden structures.
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Twelve Heavenly Generals
The Twelve Heavenly Generals who protect Yakushi Nyorai are depicted as deities wearing armor and holding weapons, commonly represented with the twelve Chinese zodiac signs on their heads.
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Kukai
Also known as Kobo Daishi (774–835), he was the founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.
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- Overview of Tōji Temple
- Architecture of the Lecture Hall (Kōdō)
- Lecture Hall (Kōdō)
- Five-Storied Pagoda
- Main Hall (Kondō)
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Yakushi Nyorai
Since the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, this deity was revered as a healing Buddha who supports the health of mind and body while curing illnesses and suffering.
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Main Hall
The Main Hall enshrines the principal deity. In traditional temples from the Nara period onwards, it serves as the central building of the temple complex.
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