The 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 an

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 t ...

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

located between the Anō and Karasaki neighborhoods of the city of

Ōtsu file:Otsu City Hall.JPG, 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km². The total a ...

Shiga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...

, in the

Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolita ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1997.

Overview

The Anō temple site has been known for a long time due to numerous

roof tile A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of temper ...

s which have been found in the vicinity, but was identified as the ruins of Buddhist temple complex only in 1973, and was excavated in 1984. The site has two overlapping occupation layers. The earliest layer appears to have been patterned after

Kawara-dera was a Buddhist temple established during the Asuka period in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Excavations have revealed a large-scale complex which included two kondō, a pagoda, extensive priests' quarters, and roof tiles that are "among the most b ...

Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Province (now N ...

, with a

Kondō Kondō, Kondo or Kondou (近藤 "near wisteria") is a surname prominent in Japanese culture, although it also occurs in other countries. Notable people with the surname include: * , Japanese ballet dancer * Dorinne K. Kondo, anthropologist * Kond ...

in the west and a

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 Taoist, ...

in the east, 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 a ...

, aligned slightly to the northeast. The second layer appears to have been patterned after

Hokki-ji – formerly known as and – is a Buddhist temple in Okamoto, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple's honorary '' sangō'' prefix is , although it is rarely used. The temple was constructed to honor Avalokitesvara, and an 11-faced st ...

Ikaruga, Nara is a town in Ikoma District, Nara, Japan. Ikaruga is home to Hōryū-ji and Hokki-ji, ancient Buddhist temples collectively inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other ancient temples include Hōrin-ji, also in the vicinity of Hōryū-ji. T ...

, with a Kondō in the west, Pagoda in the east, and a large Lecture Hall in the north. The alignment of this later temple is on a north-south axis. Fragments of a silver Buddha image have been recovered from the site of the Lecture Hall. Inscriptions on excavated roof tiles give the dates of either 630 and 632 or 690 and 692 AD. This was either shortly before or after the construction of the

Ōmi Ōtsu Palace The was an imperial palace built by Emperor Tenchi in Asuka Period Japan in what is now the city of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It served as the capital of Japan for a five-year period from 667 to 672 AD. Also known as the , , it was most freq ...

, which was used from 667 to 672 AD. The temple is believed to have existed into the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

, although no details are mentioned in historical documentation, and even the name of the temple is unknown. The site, which was backfilled after excavation, is located about a five-minute walk from Anō Station on the

Keihan Electric Railway , known colloquially as the , , or simply , is a major Japanese private railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. The transit network includes seven lines; four main lines with heavy rolling stock, two interurban lines, and a funic ...

Ishiyama Sakamoto Line The is a railway line in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Keihan Electric Railway. Stations History The Otsu Railway opened the Hamaotsu to Awazu section in 1913, electrified at 600 V DC. The line was extende ...

References

External links

Otsu Museum of History

Shiga Department of Education
{in lang, ja Asuka period Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan History of Shiga Prefecture Ōtsu Historic Sites of Japan Ōmi Province

Overview

See also

References

External links