5-minute walk from the shop to the five-storied pagoda
A tower that symbolizes the ancient capital of Nara.
Grave marker enshrining the reliquary of Buddha
The pagoda was a grave marker for the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, and was a symbol of authority in Buddhist temples at the time. Building a pagoda is a protection of Buddhism and is considered a great merit.
The five-storied pagoda of Kofuku-ji Temple was built in 730 at the request of Empress Komyo, daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito, the founder of Kofuku-ji Temple. After that, it was burned down and rebuilt five times, and the current pagoda was rebuilt around 1426. It is the second tallest pagoda in Japan and symbolizes the ancient city of Nara. It was rebuilt in its original location, and while it retains the characteristics of the Nara period, such as the use of a braid called Mitesaki Kyo, it also boldly incorporates medieval and dynamic techniques. When it was first built, it was about 45m high, and each layer had a small crystal pagoda and Mukujokodaranikyo Sutra. , Shakyamuni Jodohen in the south, Amida Jodohen in the west, and Miroku Jodohen in the north. The Yakushi Triad, the Shaka Triad, the Amida Triad, and the Miroku Triad (all made in the Muromachi period) are enshrined on the four sides of the Shumidan on each of the first floors.