Hōrin-ji, Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Japan
Hōrin-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga featuring a three-story pagoda, a lecture hall, and a dedicated space housing eleven Buddhist statues. The complex arranges its buildings in a traditional layout centered around these main structures.
A member of the imperial family founded this temple in the early 600s as a prayer site connected to family matters. This royal origin linked the site to the religious practice of Japan's ruling class from its beginning.
The temple centers on Myoken Bosatsu, a Buddhist deity connected to the northern sky in Japanese religious tradition. Visitors experience this spiritual focus through the ritual spaces and sculptural displays that define how the site is used today.
The temple grounds are open during daylight hours from March through November. The layout features flat terrain and wide pathways, making it easy to move between the different buildings and spaces.
The three-story pagoda was rebuilt in the 1970s using traditional construction methods that recreate older techniques. Visitors also encounter wind chimes scattered across the grounds that add sound to the experience of walking through the complex.
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