Chūson-ji in Hiraizumi was sponsored by Fujiwara no Kiyohira, founder of the Northern Fujiwara clan. The infobox and temple tradition credit Ennin with founding it about 850, but the text and George Sansom give 1095 for Kiyohira's founding. Large-scale building began early in the 12th century, and the Konjiki-dō was completed in 1124. The article names no architect.
The Konjiki-dō is about 18 feet (5.5 m) per side and 26 feet (8 m) tall, covered in gold leaf inside and out, with mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer. Three altars honor the first three Fujiwara lords, each with a seated Amida and attendant figures, and it serves as a mausoleum for the clan leaders' mummified remains.
A fire in 1337 destroyed much of the temple. The hall was rebuilt in 1962 to 1968, and the infobox notes a 1965 concrete building. It was the first National Treasure of Japan and joined UNESCO's Hiraizumi listing in 2011. It sits behind acrylic glass.
Comments