About this location: Horyu-ji
Horyu-ji, founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. The Sai-in complex, including the kondo and five-story pagoda, survives from the late 7th / early 8th century. It was among Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage sites (1993), a treasure of Buddhist art.
Key features
- Kondo (Main Hall) — built in the 7th century, the world's oldest wooden building, enshrining the Shaka Triad (a National Treasure); admire the entasis columns
- Five-Story Pagoda — 31.5 m tall, the world's oldest pagoda; the proportional balance from the first to fifth tiers is exquisite
- Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) and To-in Precinct — built in 739 as an octagonal hall, with the secret Guze Kannon, said to be a life-sized image of Prince Shotoku
- Chumon (Central Gate) — the main gate to the Sai-in Precinct, with entasis columns and two Niou (Vajra Warrior) guardians
- Kudara Kannon (National Treasure) — enshrined in the Daihozoin, a 2.1 m wooden Asuka-period image with a uniquely elongated form
