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 a
Hakuhō period 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 in the Midorigaoka neighborhood of the city of
Itami, Hyōgo
270px, Gogadzuka Kofun
270px, Aerial view of Itami city center
270px, Konoike inari shihi
270px, Arioka Castle ruins
) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 197,215 in 83580 households and a ...
,
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 name of the temple is unknown, and no structures remain, but the temple grounds were designated as a
National Historic Site in 1966.
Overview
The Itami temple ruins are located to the west of
Osaka International Airport
, often referred to as is the primary regional airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Classified as a first class airport, it is the airport closest to Kyoto, southwest of Kyoto Station.
...
on the Itai Terrace. The existence of a ruined temple at this location has been known since the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, as
roof tiles and foundation stones have been found in the area. A number of foundation stones believed to have been originally from the temple site have been found in gardens around Itami as ornamental stones. Per an
archaeological excavation
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
carried out in 1958, the foundations of a
Hōryū-ji style temple, with the
main hall on the east and the
pagoda on the west side orientated to the south, and surrounded by
corridors. The ruins of the main hall are 20 meters east-west and 16 meters north-south. There are two stairs on the left and right sides of the south face, and one in the center of the north face, and a main hall with two stairs on the left and right is rare. The ruins of the tower are 12.7 meters on each side and are piled up only with roof tiles. Outside the corridor, a building that looks like an auditorium straddles the grounds of the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
Itami Garrison to the north, and a group of buildings, possibly monk's quarters from the same period, as have been confirmed to the east. The layout of the auditorium is partly different from that of the Hōryū-ji style in that it is located on the east side of the central axis. The temple appears to have been abandoned from around the late
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
. Currently, the foundations of the main hall and five-storied pagoda have been restored and are open to the public as a historic park.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Hyōgo)
This list is of the Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefecture of Hyōgo.
National Historic Sites
As of 1 January 2021, fifty-one Sites have been designated as being of national significance (including one * Special Historic Site).
...
References
External links
Itami city home page{{in lang, ja
Itami, Hyōgo
Settsu Province
Asuka period
Historic Sites of Japan
Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan