Kawaradera Temple

Japanese: 川原寺 - かわらでら

This temple was located in Kawahara, Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture. There are many theories about the exact year of its construction, but it is believed to have been founded in the late 7th century. One theory is that Emperor Tenchi built it on the site of the Asukagawa Palace, where the Asukagawa Palace was located, to pray for the repose of his mother, Empress Saimei. The Nihon Shoki also records that in 673, the entire Buddhist canon was copied here. It occupied an important position as one of the four great temples, but fell into decline after the Nara period. Since then, it has been burned and rebuilt several times, and the remains of the agate foundation stones remain. Excavations conducted in 1957 and 1958 revealed that the temple had a unique layout that could be called Kawaradera style, with a pagoda (east) and a main hall (west) located to the south of the central hall (→ main hall), surrounded by a corridor that stretches east and west from the central gate and closes with the central hall, and a lecture hall and a U-shaped monks' quarters located behind the central hall. In addition, ancient roof tiles, bricks, old coins, gilt bronze products, Haji ware, and Sue ware were also discovered. The site of Kawaradera Temple has been designated as a national historic site. Currently, the site of the Chukondo Hall is occupied by the Shingon sect temple, Gufukuji.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

奈良県明日香村川原にあった寺。厳密な建立年次には説が多いが，7世紀後半の創建とみられ，天智天皇が母の斉明天皇の冥福を祈り飛鳥川原宮跡であったこの地に建立したという説がある。また『日本書紀』には天武2（673）年，ここで一切経の書写が行なわれたことが記録されている。四大寺の一つとして重要な位置を占めていたが，奈良時代以降衰退した。以後数次の火災，復興を経ており，遺構として瑪瑙の礎石が残る。1957，1958年に発掘調査が行なわれた結果，中金堂（→金堂）の南側に塔（東）と金堂（西）を配置し，それらを中門から東西に延び中金堂で閉じる回廊が囲み，中金堂の背後に講堂とコの字形の僧坊を置く，川原寺式ともいうべき独特な伽藍配置であったことがわかった。あわせて古瓦をはじめ，塼，古銭，金銅製品，土師器，須恵器などが発見された。川原寺跡として国の史跡に指定されている。現在は中金堂跡に真言宗の寺，弘福寺（ぐふくじ）がある。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Kawara-in

>>: Kawaratake - Kawaratake