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Every region in the world has its own cultural heritages and/or natural environment that are the prides of the nation or race. World heritages refer to treasures common to us as human beings, which must be shared by all the people in the world living now and handed down to the future generations. In Uji, Ujigami Shrine and Byodo-in are registered as parts of the “cultural assets of the ancient capital Kyoto.” |
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Ujigami Shrine was called "Riku kami sha" until the Meiji Restoration. The Gods worshipped in the shrines were Emperor Ojin, his son, Prince Uji-no-waki-iratsuko, and his elder brother, Emperor Nintoku. The front shrine at the front of the precincts was built at the beginning of the Kamakura period in splendid Shindenzukuri (shrine-style) architecture. The roof's beauty, made in the Sugaruhafu style, is exceptional. The main shrine was built in the latter half of the Heian period, and is the oldest existing shrine in Japan. The building has a special style where three inner shrines are arranged in one line and covered by the common covering roof. The Kaerumata (building materials shaped like opened legs of a frog) in the left and right main buildings are also important as they indicate the era in which they were built. |
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The temple was originally a villa owned by Fujiwara Michinaga, but later converted into a temple by his son, Uji regent Fujiwara Yorimichi in 1052 (the latter half of the Heian period).
The Ho-o-do (Phoenix Hall) building was constructed during the following year as an Amitabha hall and consists of a central hall that houses an image of Amida Buddha carved by Jocho, a master craftsman of Buddhist image, wing corridors on both sides and a tail corridor toward the rear. Atop the roof of the hall stand sculptures of mythical phoenix-like birds called ho-o and the inside of the hall is decorated with doors with gorgeous Housouge patterns and colorful paintings. The double canopy and Unchu Kuyo Bosatsu is also a must-see. Around the “Ho-o-do” is a garden with ponds (historical site/scenic beauty), which is said to represent the western part of the Buddhist paradise; originally, this garden was constructed such that it incorporated the Uji River and the mountain range on the opposite shore in the scenery, which influenced the construction of temples in various places. The Ho-o-do building of the Byodo-in Museum opened in March 2002. |
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