The architecture of Horyuji Temple, world’s oldest surviving wooden building
Worlds’ oldest wooden building that still survives today 法隆寺 (Horyuji Temple) in Nara, Japan. It was built around 607 AD using 1,000 year-old Japanese cypress. Why was it build, and how has it survived for 1,500 years?
What is Horyuji and why was it built?
Horyuji is one of the first Japanese Buddhist temples built during 7th century in Nara, Japan. Nara was the ancient Japanese capital until it was moved to Kyoto in 8th century. Geographically, Nara is only about 70 km South of Kyoto. it has good access to the Osaka Bay (through Yamato River), from which advanced Chinese cultures, knowledge and skills were introduced. Buddhism was one of such refined continental cultures brought to Japan in the middle of 6th century. Not only was Buddhism highly philosophical religion, it also had beautiful Buddha statues and grandiose temples. It also came to Japan with inspiring idealism to create a society based on peace. Although there were serious internal conflicts to decide whether or not Japan should adapt Buddhism as a national religion, eventually a group that supported Buddhism prevailed. They started building capitals based on the principles of Buddhism to bring about a peaceful society.
Horyuji is in Ikaruga Cho, Ikoma Gun, Nara Prefecture
close to the ancient capital of Asuka era (592-710 AD) .
If you travel from Tokyo to Nara, you may want to take shinkan sen (bullet train)
from Tokyo to Kyoto, then change to local lines for Nara.
It is believed that Hoyuji project was started by 用明天皇 (Yomei Tenno, the then-Emperor), who wished to build a temple to overcome his disease. His son, 聖徳太子 (Shotoku Taishi), took over the project as the Emperor passed away in 587 AD before he could realize his wish. It’s widely believed that the temple was completed by around 607 AD.
Shotoku Taishi is still widely respected by Japanese as one of the brightest, progressive minds in ancient Japan who adapted advanced Chinses system to create Japan’s first constitution, administrative systems and promoted Buddhism. Shotoku Taishi is believed to have orchestrated the planning and construction of the ancient capital Asuka in Nara, which was not far away from Horyuji.
Photo by Patrick Vierthaler via Flickr
Horyuji seen from the middle (central) gate.
You can see the top of the five-storied pagoda on the left hand side.
Timber and tools used to build Horyuji
One of the most mind-boggling things about Horyuji is that carpenters back then used only a handful of very elementary tools to cut down and process large trees. According to Mitsuo Ogawa, one of the few remaining master miyadaiku today, carpenters who built Horyuji only had axes, chisels and ancient planes. They didn’t even have handsaws (!)
To compensate for the poor quality of tools they used, ancient carpenters had to know everything about trees. For example, they already knew to avoid using the core of a tree to make sturdy columns that wouldn’t crack or warp over time. They would chop a tree with a diameter of more than 2 meters into four pieces using axes only, then somehow smooth the surface with smaller axes and planers by scraping off unevenness little by little. How time consuming it would have been!
Other major restriction because of the poor quality of tools: ancient carpenters had limited options as to which timber they could use. It had to be flexible enough to process, but sturdy enough to stand strong. Miraculously, Japan had such species: 檜 (hinoki, Japanese cypress). Hinoki is a slow-growing conifer with tightly knit yet workable structure – a rare combination of opposing qualities that makes an ideal timber. What’s better, hinoki can increase its strength for about 200 years after it was cut. It then starts deteriorating ever so slowly to go back to its original strength spending next 800-1,000 years. You can expect hinoki timber to survive for more than 1,000 years.
When Japanese started constructing large buildings like Horyuji in 7th century, there used to be abundant large hinoki trees with 2.5 meters in diameter. However, it takes hinoki for 1,000 years to grow to become that big, as its growth is very slow. The stock of 1,000 year-old hinoki started declining immediately. Mitsuo Ogawa, the master miyadaiku who was involved in the restoration of many ancient Nara temples, acknowledges that you could tell that the Horyuji facilities built later than other buildings suffered quality timber shortage. Today, the oldest surviving hinoki are about 700 years, and the healthy hinoki forests are disappearing quickly.
Continental (Korean) influence on Horyuji
When Buddhism was brought from Korea, Japan didn’t have matching knowledge nor skills to adapt it domestically. Japanese invited skilled Korean engineers, craftsmen and artists so that they could build temples, make construction materials such as roof tiles, and create aesthetic Buddha statues. It is believed that they worked with Japanese to tweak the continental construction methods and details to fit the local environment. For example, deep eaves are unique Japanese style developed to protect timber from humid, rainy weather in Japan.
The layout of the temple is another aspect of Japanese adaptation. Although there have been controversies, it’s believed that the original Horyuji were burnt down right after it was built, which used traditional formal Chinese layout for temples: buildings were arranged one behind another precisely on a South-North axis. But when the temple was re-built soon after, Japanese changed the layout to the current style. As you can see, it doesn’t use the rectangular Chinese formation. Instead, it surrounds the center (void) with the Golden Hall on your right hand side, the Five-stories pagoda on your left hand side and the Grand Lecture Hall at the back (North).
The current layout of Horyuji.
Once you enter the middle (central) gate, it is Buddha’s land.
The Buddha’s land is surrounded by the corridors that connects
the area with the Grand Lecture Hall, at which priests studied.
Originally, the Lecture Hall was outside the corridor to strictly
prohibit priests from entering Buddha’s land.
南大門 (Nandaimon)
The very entrance of the Horyuji is 南大門 (Nandaimon, the Grand South Gate). The current Nandaimon was built in 1438, as the original one was burnt down. The large gate is supported by 12 columns and uses gabled and hipped roofs, which were widely used in Asia for authentic, formal buildings such as temples. Roofs are finished with tiles.
Buddhist temple usually have an entrance on its South end, and its premises extend towards North (consistent with traditional formal Chinese style). South gate is a sacred gate only meant for Buddhas. Priests and other people use East or West gates.
The Nandaimon (Grand South Gate) of Horyuji.
You can see several traditional Chinese design details such as sloping eaves
and ornamental wooden panels (manji kuzushi).
中門 (Chu mon)
Once you enter the Grand South Gate, you will see some small halls called 塔頭 (tatchu) along the path, then arrive at 中門 (chu mon), the middle (central) gate. The central gate is usually larger than the south gate. Horyuji’s central gate is double-eaved, and is supported by as many as 20 pillars which are arranged 5 by 4. You see five of them on the front end (interestingly enough, the third one is at the center) with four intervals in between. Two intervals are used to install a pair of statues, and two at the center were used to be used as an entrance. Unfortunately, the gate is closed and off-limits for tourists today to preserve the historical structure.
The central gate is typically guarded by a pair of 金剛力士像 (kongo rikishi zo), that consists of ”agyo” and “ungyo.” They are here to protect Buddha’s land. Agho has his mouth open and represents the beginning. Ungyo has his mouth closed, and represents the end. Although the statues are believed to have been here from the beginning, they have been repaired a number of times.
