Horyuji - Horyu Temple Nara Japan

The grounds of Horyuji (Horyu Temple) house the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures, conveying images of Japan as it existed more than 1300 years ago, during the Asuka Period (AD. mid 6th - beginning of 8th c.). Horyuji is located at Nara (90 minute drive East of Osaka). (Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.) The story of Horyuji’s founding can be discovered in the historical writings engraved on the back of the halo of the Yakushi Nyorai Buddha statue, located on the eastern side of the room in the temple’s Main Hall. The official records of all the key items in the property dates back to 747AD. Horyuji is composed of the Western Precinct (Saiin Garan), which is centered around the Five-Story Pagoda (Goju-no-To) and the Main Hall (Kondo), and the Eastern Precinct (Toin Garan), which is arranged around the Hall of Visions (Yumedono). Horyuji contains over 2,300 important cultural and historical structures and articles, including nearly 190 that have been designated as National Treasures or important Cultural Properties. In 1993 Horyuji was selected by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage as a unique storehouse of world Buddhist culture. More pictures of the Horyuji - Horyu Temple can be seen in the Japan Picture Gallery. |