Shitennoji Temple

In front of you stands the central gate of Shitennoji, with the five-story pagoda behind it. According to the Nihon Shoki, Japan's oldest official chronicle, work on this temple began in 593. That makes it one of the very first Buddhist temples in the country.

1A vow in battle

The chronicles tell that in 587 the young Prince Shōtoku was fighting on the side that defended Buddhism against the Mononobe clan. In the thick of battle he vowed that, if he won, he would build a temple to the four heavenly kings, the Shitennō, guardians of the world. He won, and he kept his promise. Archaeology confirms there was already a temple here in the early 7th century.

2In a straight line

Notice the layout: the central gate, the pagoda, the golden hall and the lecture hall line up from south to north. This is the so-called Shitennoji style, one of the oldest temple plans in Japan.

What you see is not that old. The temple burned in wars, was struck by lightning in 1801, a typhoon toppled the pagoda in 1934 and the 1945 air raids destroyed the central precinct. The 1963 reconstruction, in concrete, set out to recapture the look of the Asuka period.

According to tradition, the prince brought carpenters from Baekje, in Korea. One of them founded the Kongō Gumi company, which worked for the temple for centuries.

3What to look for

• The two guardians of the central gate.
• The five-story pagoda, with its nine-ringed metal finial.
• The alignment of the buildings, visible from the gate.