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Tō-ji

Tō-ji

Photo: Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Kyoto, Japan
Client / Owner
Emperor Kanmu
Year
Completed 1644
Access
Public
Typology
Spiritual

Tō-ji in Kyoto was founded in 796 by Emperor Kanmu, per the infobox, and Emperor Saga put Kūkai in charge in 823. The article names no architect. Its five-story pagoda, which the text calls Japan's tallest wooden tower, is 180 feet (54.8 m) high. The infobox gives reconstruction in 1644, while the text dates the pagoda to 1643.

The first pagoda was built in the 9th century and was destroyed and rebuilt four times. The text describes Zenshūyō features including hidden roofs and katōmado windows, though it says the Kamakura-era origin of some is uncertain. Other buildings include the Lotus Flower Gate, Miedō, the Kondō with a Yakushi statue of 1603, and the Kanchiin Guest Hall.

An earthquake in 1586 seriously damaged the temple. The pagoda became a National Treasure in 1952 and the site a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Pagoda entry is limited to special occasions, and the Miedō opens on the 21st of each month.

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