HORYUJI TEMPLE
 The
grounds of Horyuji
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.
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