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 in the Kinugawa neighborhood 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, in the Kansai region of

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 1977.

Overview

Kinugawa temple ruins site is located at the narrowest point of Lake Biwa, at an elevation of 100 meters above sea level, or three meters above the surrounding

paddy field A paddy field is a flooded field (agriculture), field of arable land used for growing Aquatic plant, semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in sout ...

s. The site is on a hill which has been artificially flattened and filled to make the temple precincts. From archaeological evidence it is believed to have been built in the latter half of the Asuka period (mid 7th century AD), and is thus one of the oldest Buddhist temple sites in Ōmi Province. It appears to have consisted of two buildings built on rammed earth platforms. The northern structure is believed to have been the

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 * Kon ...

, with a base that measured 18 meters east-to-west by 15 meters north-to-south, with some remaining foundation stones and cornerstones. The smaller structure to the east has a square base, nine meters on each side, and is believed to have been the pagoda. It addition, there was the trace of a kiln on the southwestern slope of the temple grounds, presumably for the production of roof tiles. Six types of roof tiles have been excavated from the site, which is an unusually large variety for a site which was in existence for only a short period of time. Inscriptions on tile shards indicate that the temple had some connection with the Wani clan, which was a powerful local clan which ruled this area from the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

into the Nara period. No remains of any other buildings or structures have been found, and it is possible that the construction was suspended before the complete temple was finished. The temple appears to have been abandoned around the time that the Ōmi Ōtsu Palace was abandoned in 672 AD. The temple does not appear in any 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 the "Kinugawa" bus stop on the Kosaku Bus from Katata Station on the

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

Kosei Line.

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