Shitennō-ji ( ja, 四天王寺, ''Temple of the

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods, each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. In Chinese mythology, they are known collectively as the "Fēng Tiáo Yǔ Shùn" () or "Sìdà Tiānwáng" (). In the a ...

'') is a

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 ...

temple 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 ...

Ōsaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

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 ...

. It is also known as Arahaka-ji, Nanba-ji, or Mitsu-ji. The temple is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially-administered temple in Japan, although the temple complex and buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries, with the last reconstruction taking place in 1963. It is the head temple of the Wa Sect of Buddhism.

History

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half- ...

was known for his profound Buddhist faith when

Buddhism 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 gra ...

was not widespread in Japan during the 6th century. In order to popularize Buddhism, Prince Shōtoku lead a massive national project to promote Buddhism and he commissioned the construction of Shitennō-ji. Prince Shōtoku invited three Korean carpenters from

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

. They brought knowledge and led the construction of Shitennō-ji. The commission of Shitennō-ji was part of a massive national project led by Prince Shōtoku. The temple buildings themselves have been rebuilt a few times over the centuries; most of the present structures are from when the temple was last completely rebuilt in 1963. One of the members involved in the initial construction of the temple in the 6th century later established the firm

Kongō Gumi is a Japanese construction company. In January 2006, after falling on difficult times, it became a subsidiary of the Takamatsu Construction Group.

, which specialized in temple and shrine buildings.

Kongō Gumi is a Japanese construction company. In January 2006, after falling on difficult times, it became a subsidiary of the Takamatsu Construction Group.

was the world's oldest company until it was acquired by the Takamatsu Construction Group in 2004. Shitennô-ji Model.jpg, Model of the temple complex at the time of its construction, at Osaka Prefectural Chikatsu Asuka Museum. Shitennō-ji main hall and pagoda.png, Tinted photo of the larger main hall and pagoda around 1880, prior to the downscaled modern reconstruction. Taken by

Kusakabe Kimbei Kusakabe Kimbei (日下部金兵衛; 1841–1934) was a Japanese photographer. He usually went by his given name, Kimbei, because his clientele, mostly non-Japanese-speaking foreign residents and visitors, found it easier to pronounce than his ...

. 1934 Typhoon Muroto damage at Shitenno-ji.jpg, The rubble of the five-tiered pagoda after destruction by the 1934 Muroto typhoon.

Description

" Shitennō" refer to the

in Buddhism. The temple Prince Shōtoku built to honor them had four institutions, each to help the Japanese attain a higher level of civilization. This was centered on the seven-building (the complex inside the walls), and included a , a , a , and a to provide essential care to the people of Japan. Three of the four sections are known to have existed inside the temple in Kamakura period. The consists of a five-story pagoda, a main Golden Pavilion () housing an image of the Bodhisattva Kannon, and a under a covered corridor holding three gates; the (also known as the ), the Western Gate, and the Eastern Gate. Surrounding this central complex are the , and a . To the west is the , also known as . Further to the west is a stone

torii A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simplest ...

, which is imagined to be the Eastern Gate to

Sukhavati Sukhavati (IAST: ''Sukhāvatī''; "Blissful") is a pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism. It is also called the Land of Bliss or Western Pure Land, and is the most well-known of Buddhist pure lands, due to the popularity of Pure Land Budd ...

, the Pure Land of the West. In the Kameido hall is a 7th century turtle-shaped stonework that was used for state rituals with water. These are 2 turtle-shaped objects in opposite direction. The stone tank and upper turtle's base were carved from single pieces of Tatsuyama stone. These are similar to the carving at the Sakafuneishi ruins which are believed to be a ritual site for

Empress Kōgyoku , also known as , was the 35th and 37th monarch of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (37)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642 to 645. Her reign as Saimei encompassed 655 to 661. In other ...

(594-661) in

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 ...

, Nara Prefecture. Nowadays they are still used for rituals to commemorate ancestors by floating sheets of wood with their names on the water. Souvenirs of Shitennō-ji are sold on the 21st of each month.

Access

*a 5-minute walk from Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka Station on the

Osaka Municipal Subway The is a major rapid transit system in the Osaka Metropolitan Area of Japan, operated by the Osaka Metro Company, Ltd. It serves the city of Osaka and the adjacent municipalities of Higashiosaka, Kadoma, Moriguchi, Sakai, Suita, and Yao. Os ...

Tanimachi Line The is a rapid transit line of Osaka Metro, running from Dainichi Station in Moriguchi to Yaominami Station in Yao through Osaka. Its official name is , while the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau refers to it as , and in MLIT publicat ...

. *a 15-minute walk from Tennoji 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 ...

Lines and the Osaka Municipal Subway Lines. *a 15-minute walk from

Osaka Abenobashi Station is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

on the

Kintetsu ''Kintetsu'' is the abbreviation of , or Kintetsu Railway, a Japanese railway corporation. It may also refer to: Companies * Kintetsu Group Holdings, the holding corporation of the Kintetsu Railway ** Kintetsu Bus, a bus company and a subsidiary ...

Minami-Osaka Line.

Gallery

File:Shitennoji - pagoda.jpg, Shitennō-ji

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, ...

File:Shitennoji07s3200.jpg, Kondō File:Shitennoji01s3200.jpg, The Great West Gate (Gokuraku-mon) File:Shitennoji daimon1.jpg, The Great East Gate File:Shitennoji daimon.jpg, The Great South Gate () File:Shitennoji4.jpg, Northern belfry File:Shitennoji-taishi-indoushoudo.jpg, Southern belfry File:Shitennoji-torii.jpg, Stone torii File:Shitennoji06s3200.jpg, Courtyard File:Shitenno-ji Niomon zou1.jpg, Niōmon File:Shitenno-ji Niomon zou2.jpg, Niōmon File:Shitennoji_daimon_nio1.jpg, Daimon 1 File:Shitennoji_daimon_nio2.jpg, Daimon 2 File:Shitennoji-KoboDaishi2 Osaka 20101013.jpg, Statuettes of

Kūkai Kūkai (; 27 July 774 – 22 April 835Kūkai was born in 774, the 5th year of the Hōki era; his exact date of birth was designated as the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the Japanese lunar calendar, some 400 years later, by the Shingon sec ...

References

External links