Yasaka Pagoda

Yasaka Pagoda
八坂の塔
The Yasaka Pagoda as seen from Yasaka-dori
Religion
Affiliation	Zen Buddhism
Sect	Kennin-ji Rinzai
Location
Location	Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Country	Japan
Shown within Kyoto Prefecture Show map of Kyoto Prefecture Yasaka Pagoda (Japan) Show map of Japan
Geographic coordinates	34°59′55″N 135°46′45″E
Architecture
Date established	7th century
Completed	7th century (original) 1440 (reconstruction)

The Yasaka Pagoda (Japanese: 八坂の塔, romanized: Yasaka-no-to), also known as the Tower of Yasaka, is a Buddhist pagoda located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.^[1] The 5-story tall pagoda is the last remaining structure of a 6th-century temple complex known as Hōkan-ji (法観寺).^[2][3] The pagoda is now a tourist attraction.^[4]

History

Archaeological evidence dates the foundation of the Yasaka Pagoda to the 7th Century. The founding date is disputed between the reign of Prince Shotoku and the sixth year of the Tenmu period (678 CE).^[5] The pagoda and the associated temple were destroyed and reconstructed several times up to 1440, of which the current pagoda stands to this day.

Control of the pagoda was historically disputed between the nearby Shinto Gion Shrine and the Buddhist temple of Kiyomizu-dera, to the point the pagoda was burnt down in May of 1179.^[5] It was later rebuilt in 1191 with funding from Kawachi Genji noble Minamoto no Yoritomo. In 1240, the head priest of the nearby Buddhist temple of Kennin-ji affiliated the pagoda with Zen Buddhism, which remains the official designation of the Yasaka Pagoda to the present day.

See also

• Kennin-ji
• Kiyomizu-dera

References

1. Oevermann, Heike; Gantner, Eszter (2019-08-08). Securing Urban Heritage: Agents, Access, and Securitization. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-62435-3.
2. "Hokan-ji Temple". Kyoto City Official Travel Guide. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
3. "Yasaka-no-to Pagoda". Inside Kyoto. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
4. Jenkins, Mark. "Why your next vacation should be in Japan". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
5. "Historic site Hokanji precincts" (PDF) (in Japanese). Kyoto City Archaeological Research Institute. 2010-03-31. Retrieved 2021-11-06.