or the ''West Temple'' was one of the two large
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
temples
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
established in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
,
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 ...
.
History
Sai-ji was founded in the early
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. ...
.
[Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869,'' p. 111.] The temple dates from 796, two years after the capital moved to
Heian-kyō
Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180.
Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...
. Sai-ji was established together with the other temple,
Tō-ji
, also known as is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan.
Founded in 796, it was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, ho ...
(the ''East Temple''). Each occupied a square site of approximately 300 m by 300 m situated symmetrically on both sides of the
Suzaku Avenue
is the name given to the central avenue leading to the Imperial Palace from the south in Japanese capitals. Traditionally the Imperial palace complex faces south, whilst Suzaku Avenue leads directly away from the main gate. Cities were often ba ...
(Suzaku-ōji, present-day Senbon-dōri), just north of the great
Rashōmon gate along the southern edge of the city. While Tō-ji has survived (albeit rebuilt) into modern times, Sai-ji was burnt in 990 and 1233, then abandoned and never rebuilt.
The two temples (together with
Shingon-in
The was the original imperial palace of (present-day Kyoto), the capital of Japan, from 794 to 1227. The palace, which served as the imperial residence and the administrative centre for most of the Heian period (from 794 to 1185), was located a ...
in the imperial
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
) were the only Buddhist institutions allowed in the capital at the time it was established. This policy was introduced by Emperor Kanmu in order to curb the political influence the large Buddhist institutions in
Heijō-kyō (present-day
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...
) had acquired during the 8th century.
Now a small park in
Minami-ku, Kyoto, commemorates the temple at the site, a little west and north of the intersection of Kujō street and
Senbon street
Senbon Street (千本通 せんぼんどおり ''Senbon dōri'') is one of the major streets running from north to south in the city of Kyoto, Japan. It extends from the Takagamine area of the Kita-ku (north) to the vicinity of Nōso, in the Fush ...
.
See also
*
List of Buddhist temples in Kyoto
There are 1,600 Buddhist temples scattered throughout the prefecture of Kyoto.
Nara period in Kyoto (710-794)
* , also known as or .
* Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Heian period in Kyoto (794-1229)
* , also known as the .Ponsonby-Fane, p. 11 ...
* For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the
Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
This is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual (or brand-new) reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galle ...
.
Notes
References
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869.'' Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.
External links
{{Buddhist temples in Japan
Buddhist temples in Kyoto
Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan
Historic Sites of Japan
Buddhism in the Heian period
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191026/p2a/00m/0na/018000c