Each country has its own traditions, culture and architecture. The temples of Japan are special buildings that, by their appearance, tell about the life of ancient and modern people. Such buildings keep a long history.
Temple features
The architecture of the spiritual centers of Asia shows the heirs what values used to be, how people interacted with each other and what political views they had. Temples in Japan began to be built in the Middle Ages. It was this country that spread religion to the nearest Asian settlements. All the temples of the countries are different from each other, even if they have common features. In particular, the arrangement of the cathedral, the landscaping of the plots, the structuring of the space.
In the seventh century, almost all Asian artists took their cue from China. The temples of Japan were built on the same principle. Architects took as a basis already developed buildings. Gradually, the temples of Japan improved and added a local style to the buildings. Rainy weather was also characteristic of these places. Therefore, architects solved the problem of moisture resistance of temples.
Buddhist temples in Japan
The local population considers such buildings a separate direction in architecture. People believe that Buddhist temples are a combination of spiritual practices, philosophy, science and aesthetics. The building has a wide roof with a spire. In such temples there are always columns. People pay special attention to the materials with which the buildings are sheathed. Buddhist temples in Japan:
- Rean-Ji. The temple is located in Kyoto, Japan. Its distinguishing feature is 3 fires that it withstood, but the walls were subject to reconstruction. This temple is dear to the indigenous population. Therefore, it was included in the World Heritage List. Stones are located throughout the territory, among them there are no plants and grass. In addition, there is a pond through which several bridges pass. The temple attracts even those who are far from Buddhism. After all, the atmosphere of calm relieves stress and encourages reflection on life.
- Enryaku-ji. This is one of the oldest temples, it was built in the 8th century. Almost all of its history, a Buddhist school operated on its territory. However, people are not being trained there now. There are only 3 full-fledged buildings on the territory of the temple. They have large halls, auditoriums and places for meditation.
- Todai-Ji. This is the largest temple that the Japanese managed to build from wood. Its main feature is its location in the center of the settlement. There is a high gate at the entrance to the temple. After them there is a staircase 25 meters long. On the way to the temple, the figures of saints made of wood are presented to a person.
These are the most popular and beautifulBuddhist temples of this wonderful country. However, it is quite difficult to visit them. After all, there is a queue of tourists who want to get into it. And you can’t do this every day, because monks serve and meditate in temples. Therefore, you can visit them at the time allotted for this.
Itsukushima Church
This temple is located on a sacred island, where it is difficult to get to a simple tourist. The Sea of Japan is located around the territory. There are no flights to the island. It is a Shinto shrine in Japan and is one of the most popular cathedrals. This is the merit of the architects, because at the entrance they made a gate in the vicinity of the sea. Sometimes there are high tides that completely flood them. The builders have painted them bright red and are made of oak and maple.
There are many buildings and complexes of buildings on the territory of the temple. The lower part of which is painted white, and the roof is red. Most of the buildings are intended for servants and priests.
Tosegu Building Complex
It was built in honor of the outstanding Colonel Tokugawa Iyasyagi. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the temple has been under the protection of UNESCO. Its main feature is the crypt of Colonel Iyasyagi. Exactly 8 buildings on the territory belong to the national treasures of the country. Initially, the temple was built of wood. However, because of the rains, it was made of stone. 10 years later, it was redone again. All buildings are made of bronze, which is moisture resistant and durable compared to similar materials. It is easy for tourists to get to everythingkey places. Sometimes monks talk about their religion.
Kunakuji Church
This complex was built in 1397, for the rest of one of the country's politicians. The temple is located in Kyoto, Japan. His most important relic is a Buddhist compassion statue called Avalokiteshvara. Also on the territory are bronze statues of the creators and owners of the temple. The floor of the building is covered with pure gold. The main pavilion houses relics of the Buddha. On the roof there is a sculpture of a Chinese phoenix. Around the temple is a green area with trees and shrubs. There is also a large lake on the territory, where spruces grow on small islands. Near the shore there are statues of a crane and a toad, they mean the longevity of the Japanese people.
Kofukuji Temple
Practically all religious sites in Japan are protected by UNESCO. Kofukuji is no exception. After all, ancient relics are located on its territory. It was also founded in 700 AD. The temple is considered one of the oldest in Japan. In 2018, the Hosso school continues to operate on the territory. The temple was founded in Kyoto, but is now located in the city of Nara. Its entire territory is filled with concrete. Among the buildings there is a lake with clear water. Lotus flowers are all over the water. Many people are interested in the names of temples in Japan. Such a stir develops because of the colonels, after whom they are named. However, Indian philosophers came up with the name Kofuku.
Temples for Christians
Most of the churches in the country belong to the views of Buddhism and Shintoism. However, there are Orthodox churches in Japan. They spread thanks to Hieromonk Nicholas, who, secretly from the government, baptized Japanese who wished to join the Orthodox faith. It happened only in the 19th century. In 2018, according to statistics, there are 250 full-fledged Christian churches in Japan.
One of the most popular cathedrals is Nikora-Do. Its real name is the Church of St. Nicholas. Its architecture is different from all similar buildings in the world. This is due to the peculiarity of the Orthodox faith in Japan. In the 19th century, the building survived an earthquake, which is why the temple was restored in a modern way. Nikoray-Do Cathedral is the most important Orthodox church in the country. However, its architecture resembles Russian buildings. Inside the temple, almost everything is different from what we are used to seeing in Orthodox churches in the CIS countries. Starting from the smell of candles and ending with the style of icons. All services in it are fully completed. All women wear headscarves, men come in shirts. However, in this temple you can often meet tourists in jeans.
Resurrection Church
This temple was organized by the Consulate of the Russian Federation in 1850. It is the first Orthodox church in Japan. It was built by the Russian architect Igor Gorshkevich, he wanted to resurrect Christianity in this country. Therefore, the builders decided to dedicate the temple to JesusChrist and his holy Resurrection.
The temple is located at the highest point of the city of Hakodate. Initially, the body of the building was made of wood. It also had a basement and two floors. At the highest point of the church was a golden bell. However, the building has gone through many restorations due to impractical materials. Now it is made of concrete and painted white. A Sunday school operates on its territory, where visiting Russians and Orthodox Japanese study. Adults can attend services and Orthodox courses. The temple administration pays special attention to the vocal component - a professional choir functions there. Also, following fashion trends, priests maintain an Orthodox website in English. It even has a section "Temples of Japan, photo". However, there are only Christian churches there.
Sapporo Temple
At the very beginning, this church was created as a house of prayer. It gathered the Orthodox community from Japan. Due to popularity, people organized a separate building for Christian rites and services. It was financed by Russia, but in the 20th century a crisis began, because of which the temple worked at the expense of donations. As a result, the administration published a newspaper that covered important Christian holidays, prayers, stories, and so on.
When sporting events began across the country, the church was moved to another location. For this, a new building was built. It is made of concrete and painted white. The temple has 6 domes, where the bell towers are located.
