250px, Site of the Kondō of Sūfuku-ji 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 recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...

with the ruins of a late Asuka through

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

located in the Shigasato neighborhood of the city of

Ōtsu 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153,458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . History Ōtsu is ...

Shiga Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,398,972 as of 1 February 2025 and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to th ...

, in the

Kansai region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1941, and some of the artifacts recovered from the site are collectively designated as a

National Treasure A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...

. and some of the artifacts recovered from the site are collectively designated as a

Overview

Archaeological excavations indicate that the temple ruins are located on three ridges extending south from

Mount Hiei is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures, Japan. The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tendai (Chin. Tiantai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by ...

. The north ridge contains the Miroku-do, a chapel dedicated to

Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali), is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddhahood, Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha.Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: Th ...

. The middle ridge (also known as "Maruyama") contains the small Kondō and the south ridge has the main temple complex itself, including the foundations of 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 *, man known for marrying a fictional vocal ...

, Lecture Hall and

Kyōzō in Japanese Buddhist architecture is a repository for sūtras and chronicles of the temple history. It is also called , , or . In ancient times the ''kyōzō'' was placed opposite the shōrō, belfry on the east–west axis of the temple. The ea ...

(Sutra library). The site also encompasses the Hyakuana Kofun cluster and the Nagao Tile Kiln ruins; however, the site has not been excavated since its designation as a National Historic Site, so there is much about its layout which remains unknown.

Identification controversy

The history of the excavation of the site is inseparable from the location controversy involving the search for them location of the Ōmi Palace. It is known in historical records that Emperor Tenchi relocated the capital of Japan to Ōtsu and resided there for a brief period from 667 to 672 AD. However, the exact location of the palace became lost in later centuries, and especially with growing nationalism in the late

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

and Taisho period, there was strong desire to relocate it. As the palace existed for only five years and did not make use of

roof tile Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out precipitation such as rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate. Later tiles have been made from materials such as concrete, glass ...

s, it was decided that physical evidence may not have survived, and that the location of the palace site might be derived from the locations of the temples of Sūfuku-ji and Bonshaku-ji, which ancient sources indicate were in the vicinity. In 1897, a local historian promoted a theory that the "Shigasato Yamanaka site" corresponded to the site of Sūfuku-ji, and based on this theory, a stone monument to that effect was erected in 1918. However, around the same time, the Minamishigachō temple ruins with tiles from the Hakuho period and the foundation of a

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, 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 some ...

were found. Archaeologists were divided, with some postulating that the Minamishigachō temple ruins was Bonshaku-ji, which it was further postulated had been erected by

Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kammu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the scop ...

on the site of Ōmi Palace. Others argued that the Minamishigachō temple ruins corresponded to Sūfuku-ji as Hakuho period roof tiles had been excavated at that location. In an effort to settle the controversy, Shiga Prefecture sponsored excavations from 1938 to 1945 which only further inflamed the controversy. The "Shigasato Yamanaka site" yielded no artifacts earlier than the

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 Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

, although the layout of buildings appeared to correspond to what was known of Sūfuku-ji. It was only after a landslide and further excavations revealed Hakuho period tiles, a Buddha image and the foundations of a pagoda that the controversy was officially resolved in favor of "Shigasato Yamanaka site" being the site of Sūfuku-ji. Regarding the Minamishigachō site, this was arbitrarily explained as a predecessor temple in between the period when the Ōmi Palace was destroyed and the construction of Bonshaku-ji on the site of the palace ruins. However, this was not the end of the controversy, which extended well into the postwar period. It is now current dogma that Sūfuku-ji occupied the northern and central ridges of the site and Bonshaku-ji was on the southern ridge, whereas the Minamishigachō site is an entirely unknown Hakuho period temple. This is supported by roof tiles inscribed with the ''

kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

'' "Bon" found on the southern ridge.

History

Sūfuku-ji is also referred to as Shigayama-dera or Risshaku-ji in ancient literature. It claimed to have been founded in 667AD, when Emperor Tenchi had a dream about a sacred cave in the mountains, which when excavated was found to contain a treasure trove of what appear to have been '' dotaku''. The "Fuso Ryakuki" states that the temple was built in honor of his parents,

Emperor Jomei was the 34th emperor of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (34)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641. Traditional narrative Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, ...

and

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. Both her reigns were within the Asuka period. Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642 to 645. Her r ...

and the "Enryaku Monkoku" adds that it was due to Emperor Tenchi's faith in Miroku Bosatsu. Emperor Tenchi's memorial service was held at the temple, indicating its high status. The memorial service for his grandson,

Prince Kusakabe was a Japanese imperial crown prince from 681 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Tenmu. His mother was the empress Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō. Kusakabe was the sole child of his mother. According to ''Nihon Shok ...

was also held here in 689 AD. The temple is mentioned in the ''

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

'' as receiving the patronage of the imperial court as an official government temple from 701 through 729 AD.

Emperor Shōmu was the 45th Emperor of Japan, emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 聖武天皇 (45)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 749, duri ...

is recorded as visiting the temple in 740 AD, and

in 786 AD. In 798 AD it was designated as one of the ten great imperial temples alongside

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admir ...

and Kofuku-ji. By the

, the temple had established strong connections with

Mii-dera , also known as just Onjo-ji, or , is a Buddhist temple in Japan located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. It is a short distance from both Kyoto, and Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. The head temple of t ...

and was thus drawn into that temple's perennial conflict with

Enryaku-ji is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was first founded in 788 during the early Heian period (794–1185) by Saichō (767–822), also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana ...

. Sūfuku-ji burned down five times during the Heian period, and although rebuilt, each time it was rebuilt on a smaller scale and eventually became subsidiary of Mii-dera. by the middle of 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 ...

, the ''Enryakuji Gokoku Engi'' states that "there is no trace of Sūfuku Temple", but this is either an exaggeration, or else the temple had relocated from its previous location, as its name continued to appear in various historical documents into the

Artifacts

260px, ''shari'' container During the 1945 excavation a ''shari'' container was found buried within the pagoda foundation. This was a box containing smaller silver and gold boxes within, and a crystal container housing a Buddhist relic. It was designated a National Treasure in 1952. It is currently owned by

Omi Shrine or Omi Shrine is a Jingū shinto shrine in Ōtsu, a city in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It was constructed in 1940 and is dedicated to Emperor Tenji. It was formerly an imperial shrine of the first rank (官幣大社, ''kanpei taisha'') in the Moder ...

and is stored at the

Kyoto National Museum The is one of the major art museums in Japan. Located in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward, the museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese and Asian art. History The Kyoto National Museum, then the Imperial Museum of Kyoto, was proposed, along with the Imp ...

. The discovery of this container was controversial. The contractor hired to survey and excavate the pagoda foundation had worked on a previous site and knew of the possibility that it contained some type of buried treasure. Digging the site on his own, he presented the container to the archaeologists, who were amazed that an amateur apparently knew exactly where to look. However, after demanding to examine the exact location from which the container was recovered, it was soon realized that other objects were missing. After police interrogation, the contractor and his local accomplices admitted to robbing the site, and a mirror and several silver coins were recovered, but other objects which had been stolen were lost. The ''shari'' container is a quadruple container that contains a

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, ''lāžward'', lapis lazuli is ...

bottle in a triple-nested box. The outer box is made of cast bronze and is plated. The box and lid were separately cast and connected with fasteners on the front and back. The dimensions are 10 cm long, 7.4 cm wide, and 7.6 cm high (including 2.4 cm leg height), with two legs on each side. The inner box is made of silver plate, the lid is a single plate embossed, and the box is made by bending one plate to make the side of the box and sticking another plate on the bottom. The lid has fasteners on the front and back, and a pin with a jewel to seal it. The dimensions are 8 cm long, 5.6 cm wide, and 4 cm high, with an overall rounded shape. The innermost box is made of gold plate, and the shape and manufacturing method are similar to the inner box. The dimensions are 6.2 cm long, 4.3 cm wide, and 3.4 cm high. Inside, there is a stud to hold the jar, which is flower-shaped with 8 petals bordered with a flower-shaped dotted line carving, a similar motif to objects 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 ...

and early

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 ...

found on Okinoshima and at

Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in Ikaruga, Nara, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Built shortly after Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it is also one of the oldest Buddh ...

. The lapis lazuli bottle has a diameter of 3 cm, a height of 3 cm, and a diameter of 1.8 cm, and is dark green.

Gold leaf upA gold nugget of 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter (bottom) can be expanded through hammering into a gold foil of about 0.5 m2 (5.4 sq ft). The Japan.html" ;"title="Toi gold mine museum, Japan">Toi gold mine museum, Japan. Gold leaf is gold that has ...

was pressed against the rim and covered with a gold lid. It seems that the bottle had collapsed when it was excavated, and it was found in the inner box. The shrine was crystal and had three grains of 1 mm or less. The outer and inner boxes were filled with plaster-like mud, and two

amethyst Amethyst is a Violet (color), violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek from - , "not" and (Ancient Greek) / (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from Alcohol into ...

and 14 perforated Nanjing balls were found. The mud seems to be remnants of incense. Twelve silver coins (one of which was lost) were excavated from the outside of the box. The silver coins are uninscribed and have a diameter of 3 cm and a weight of about 10 g, and are drilled with holes. The accompanying iron mirror has a diameter of 7 cm, with a gold-copper plate is attached to the back and fastened with a silver edge. The back is arabesque and has a design with a fish. A mirror similar to this has been excavated from the Matsuyama Kofun in

Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

. In addition, two bells, three jadeite beads, and many rotten pieces of wood were excavated. The number of

s which has been found at the site is very small, as most buildings were covered with wooden shingles rather than tiles. The tiles found date from the Heian period and were made at the Nagao roof tile kiln site located about 550 meters to the southeast. The site is located about a 20-minute walk from the Minami-Shiga Station on the

Keihan Electric Railway The , known colloquially as the , , or simply , is a major Japanese private railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. The transit network includes seven lines; four main lines with heavy rolling stock, two interurban lines, and a ...

Ishiyama Sakamoto Line The is a railway line in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Keihan Electric Railway The , known colloquially as the , , or simply , is a major Japanese private railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Pref ...

References

External links