A is a type of

Japanese pagoda Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō'' Pagodas in Japan are called , sometimes or , and derive historically from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were ori ...

, so called because it originally contained the

sūtra ''Sutra'' ()Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a ...

Iwanami Kōjien Japanese dictionary (or ).Iwanami Kōjien Japanese dictionary A Chinese variant of the Indian

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

, it was originally conceived as a cenotaph of Qian Liu, the King of

Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...

Structure and function

Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood, ''hōkyōintō'' started to be made in their present form during the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

(1185–1333). Like a '' gorintō'', they are divided in five main sections called (from the bottom up) , or "inverted flower seat", , or base, , or body, , or umbrella, and , or pagoda finial. The ''tōshin'' is the most important part of the ''hōkyōintō'' and is carved with a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

letter. The ''sōrin'' has the same shape as the tip of a five-storied pagoda. The ''kasa'' can also be called , or roof. It is decorated with four characteristic wings called or . Different structures exist, and the ''hōkyōintō'' property of the Yatsushiro Municipal Museum in Kyushu for example is divided in just four parts, with no ''kaeribanaza''. The sūtra contain all the pious deeds of a Tathagata Buddha, and the faithful believe that praying in front of a ''hōkyōintō'' their sins will be canceled, during their lives they will be protected from disasters and after death they will go to heaven.Yatsushiro Municipal Museum The ''hōkyōintō'' tradition in Japan is old and is believed to have begun during the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...

(550–710 CE). They used to be made of wood and started to be made in stone only during the Kamakura period. It is also during this period that they started to be used also as tombstones and cenotaphs.

Gallery

File:Taizita.jpg, in

Mount Putuo Mount Putuo (, from Sanskrit: " Mount Potalaka") is an island in Putuo District, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China. It is a renowned site in Chinese Buddhism and is the bodhimaṇḍa of the bodhisattva Guanyin. Mount Putuo is one of the four sa ...

Image:HuiAn - Luoyang Bridge - P1240001.JPG, in Quanzhou Image:Baoqieshita.JPG, in Beijing Image:Ishiyamadera5435.JPG, Hōkyōintō at

Ishiyama-dera is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. This temple is the thirteenth of the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage. History It was constructed around 747 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōben. The temple contains a number of cu ...

( Otsu) Image:Onsenji05 2048.jpg, Hōkyōintō at Onsen-ji ( Toyooka) Image:Hojo-Masako's-Hokyointo.jpg,

Hōjō Masako was a Japanese politician who exercised significant power in the early years of the Kamakura period, which was reflected by her contemporary sobriquet of the "nun shogun". She was the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and mother of Minamoto no Yori ...

's Hōkyōintō (Kamakura) Image:Mizumadera hokyointo.jpg, Hōkyōintō at Mizuma-dera near

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

File:Hokyoin-to.JPG, Hokyoin-to in

Sensō-ji , is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, ...

. It provides evidence of

casting Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or ...

techniques used in the 18th century File:Hokyointo_in_Koshu-ji.jpg, Hōkyōintō at Kōshū-ji (

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

)

Notes

References

* Iwanami Japanese dictionary Sixth Edition, DVD Version
Shinkō no Katachi - Hōkyōintō
, Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, accessed on September 18, 2008 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hokyointo Cemeteries in Japan Buddhism in Japan *Hokyointo