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Uji River (宇治川) Byodo-in Temple (平等院) |
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| More than 120 rivers go into Lake Biwa (琵琶湖), the largest lake of Japan, which is located on the upper river basin of Uji City; however, only the Uji River (宇治川)/the Seta River (瀬田川) flows out from Lake Biwa. Thus, the Uji River has had plenty of water, and now the flow of water is not changed.
This area flourished with the nobles' villas in the Heian Period. One dramatic battle and one decisive race took place near the Uji Bridge (宇治橋) over the river in the Gempei Wars (源平合戦) celebrated in literature and art: 1. Battle at the Uji Bridge (1180) and 2. Horse Race Crossing the Uji River (1183). In 1180 Prince Mochihito (以仁王, 1151-1180) and his men fled from the capital to Mii-dera Temple (三井寺) and then to Uji where they hid in the Byoudo-in Temple (平等院). When the Heike warriors arrived, a fierce battle ensued with fighting on the bare beams of the Uji Bridge, because the planks had been removed as a defensive measure. Eventually the whole Heike army crossed the river and cornered the rebels at Byoudo-in Temple, later killing Mochihito and forcing his cohort Yorimasa Minamoto (源頼政, 1104-1180) to commit suicide there. During the 1183 battle, Yoritomo Minamoto (源頼朝, 1147-1199)'s warriors Takatsuna Sasaki (佐々木高綱, ?-1214) riding one of the two famous horses Yoritomo Minamoto owned Ikezuki (池月) and Kagesue Kajiwara (梶原景季, 1162-1200) riding another famous horse Surusumi (磨墨) competed to cross the Uji River. Sasaki won, tricking Kagesue into stopping to tighten his saddle girth. Then the rest of the Yoritomo's army crossed and routed to fight with the battalion of Yoshinaka Kiso (木曽義仲; Yoshinaka Minamoto, 1154-1184). |
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(Tuesday 21 February) An old monuments by the Uji River near Uji-bashi Bridge | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) The Uji-bashi Bridge over the Uji RIver | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) Statue of Murasaki-shikibu (紫式部; Lady Murasaki, 978-1016?)and some old monuments of the Uji River, Uji-bashi Bridge | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) Statue of Murasaki-shikibu (Lady Murasaki, 978-1016?), the Uji River, Uji-bashi Bridge | |
| In 1052, the year when according to Buddhist beliefs was the first year of the period of the decline of Buddhism, Yorimichi Fujiwara (藤原頼通, 992-1074), who was then the Kampaku (chief advisor to the Emperor), converted a villa of his father Michinaga ([藤原] 道長, 966-1027) into a temple. This was the beginning of Byodo-in Temple (平等院). This era falls in the mid-Heian Period (794-1191) and was blessed with the dynastic culture in its prime and the enhanced sense of beauty. In the next year, 1053, "Amida-do" (the Amitabha Hall) was built around the Aji-ike Pond in order to house Amitabha Tathagata. This is "Hoo-do" (鳳凰堂, the Phoenix Hall), which was elegantly and lightly designed to present the image of a many-storied building as depicted in sutras.
The Aji-ike Pond, modeled after the Treasure Pond on the Pure Land, extending from the Phoenix Hall forms the temple garden, which is a historic place of scenic beauty, famous as a masterpiece garden, with the grand landscapes including the Uji River and the mountains far beyond that river. In the early stage, many parts of Uji, a spot of scenic beauty, belonged to the premises of Byodo-in Temple and there were many halls and towers such as "Kon-do" (the Golden Hall), "Ko-do" (the Lecture Hall), "Hokke-do" (the Lotus Hall) and "Homotsu-den" (the Treasure House), as well as the Amitabha Hall. The garden includes "Ogi no Shiba" (the fan lawn), which is famous as the place where Yorimasa Minamoto (源頼政, 1104-1180) committed suicide after he and Prince Mochihito (以仁王) were defeated by the Heike army in 1180. Although many temple buildings were burnt down during the Gempei Wars, number of cultural properties from the Heian Period remain in the Byodo-in Temple. (Main reference: the official pamphlet) |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Torii" (the Shrine Gate) to Byodo-in Temple. | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "San-do" (the approach) to Byodo-in Temple; Teashops | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "San-do" (the approach) to Byodo-in Temple; Teashops | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) Signpost of "Byodo-in" | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Omote-mon" (Main Gate), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Fuji-tana" (a [Japanese] wisteria trellis; a wisteria arbor), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Kannon-do" (the Avalokitesvara Hall, built in the early Kamaura Period[1185-1333]), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Shoro" (the Belfry), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Rakan-do" (the Hexagonal Hall of the Lohans/the Disciples of the Buddha, built in 1640 by Dosai Hoshino the tea master and his disciples), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) "Jodo-in" (the Pure Land Hall, built by High Priest Eiku in the late 15th cenitury), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) North wing corridor of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple. | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) North wing corridor of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) North wing corridor of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) North wing corridor of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) The front [eastern] view of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple.
The Amitabha Hall, the central building of Byodo-in Temple, came to be called as the Phoenix Hall in the early Edo Period (1603-1867). The name of the Phoenix Hall is believed to have been given because the entire hall looked like a bird spreading its wings and also because a pair of Phoenix adorned the ridge of "Chu-do" (the Central Hall), an integral part of the whole hall. The Phoenix Hall houses the image of Amitabha Tathagata (made by Jocho the famous sculptor of Buddhist images [?-1057]), situated on the shumidan in the hall. Jocho was credited with perfection of "Yosegi-zukuri" (the assembled-wood technique), with then layer of wood are joined to create a statue. The technique gave the statue a well-balanced shape and a Japanese friendly style that met aristocrats' taste at that time. Also, fifty-two statues of Bodhisattvas riding on clouds are arrayed on the frieze in the Phoenix Hall: Each statue was sculptured from a single piece of cypress. The Bodhisattvas are engaged in different activities: Some are playing musical instruments, some are dancing and others are seated quietly with hands joined in prayer or making a symbolic sign with the fingers. In contrast to Amitabha Tathagata, the principal object, these Bodhisattvas on clouds three dimensionally represent an image of the Pure Land, of which Yorimichi Fujiwara and other aristocrats in those days dreamed. |
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(Tuesday 21 February) The front [eastern] view of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple: Tourists take a souvenir photograph in front of "Hoo-do," which is inscribed for the current Japanese 10-yen coin. | |
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(Tuesday 21 February) The southern view of "Hoo-do" (the Phoenix Hall, built by Yorimichi Fujiwara in 1053) and "Sori-bashi" (the Arched Bridge), Byodo-in Temple |
