[Byodoin Phoenix Hall]

The Byodoin Phoenix Hall (Byodoin Hoo-do) is perhaps one of the cultural assets that we, the Japanese people, see most repeatedly in our daily lives. Since the main hall is depicted on the 10-yen coin, and the phoenix statue from its roof is featured on the back of the 10,000-yen note currently in wide circulation, it has become a very familiar presence in our everyday routines. Located on the banks of the Uji River in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, Byodoin was founded in 1052 (Eisho 7) by Kanpaku Fujiwara no Yorimichi, who converted his father Fujiwara no Michinaga’s villa into a temple. The Phoenix Hall was then erected the following year, in 1053 (Tenki 1). In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

During this era, people were gripped by a profound sense of anxiety due to the “Mappo” (the Latter Day of the Law) ideology. It was believed that because a long time had passed since the Buddha’s lifetime, Buddhism would decline, and it would become impossible to attain the correct teachings or enlightenment. At the same time, natural disasters, plagues, and political instability overlapped, spreading fear for the future. Amidst this, the Pure Land (Jodo) faith—which preached that one could be reborn into the Pure Land through the salvation of Amida Nyorai—spread widely like a ray of hope. The Phoenix Hall was constructed to express that world of the Pure Land on earth.

A major feature of the hall is that it is built on an island in the middle of a pond, making it appear as if a palace from the Pure Land has manifested there. The reflection of the hall on the water’s surface creates an image where the real and ideal worlds seem to overlap. The symmetrical composition, with the central hall housing the seated statue of Amida Nyorai and wing corridors extending to the left and right, along with a tail corridor at the back, is both beautiful and stable. After several renovations, the pillars and walls have been finished in a deep red called “Nitsuchi-iro” since 2014. The roof tiles also feature a refined hue that expresses aging, while the roban-hoju (roof ornaments) and phoenix statues are adorned with gold leaf. The current appearance is said to be the closest to the colors at the time of its founding; the vivid yet deep and calm tones are something that can only be truly understood by seeing them in person. The pair of phoenix statues on the roof are particularly eye-catching. Since the Edo period, the building has been called the “Phoenix Hall” because its entire silhouette resembles a bird spreading its wings, and these phoenix statues seem to further illustrate a fantastical world.

In the center of the hall, the national treasure “Seated Statue of Amida Nyorai,” crafted by the master sculptor Jocho, is enshrined. Using the “yosegi-zukuri” (joined-wood) technique, this large-scale statue achieves both a balanced form and a serene expression. Personally, I was deeply captivated by the 52 “Praying Bodhisattvas on Clouds” (Unchu Kuyo Bosatsu) suspended from the upper parts of the walls. Riding on clouds, playing musical instruments, and dancing gracefully, these figures are a three-dimensional representation of the “Raigo” scene—where Amida Nyorai, accompanied by a host of Bodhisattvas, comes to welcome a deceased person to the Pure Land.

In the adjacent museum, “Hoshokan,” the Raigo paintings and decorative patterns from the temple doors and walls are reproduced. The brilliant walls incorporate depictions of Japanese mountains and flowers alongside the idealized Pure Land scenery, beautifully reflecting the Japanese view of nature. Furthermore, the Praying Bodhisattvas on Clouds and the original phoenix statues from the time of founding are exhibited so that they can be viewed up close, allowing visitors to appreciate their exquisite details to their heart's content. Holding various objects or standing with hands in prayer, these Bodhisattva statues—though small—have such diverse movements and expressions that I found myself whispering, “How cute!” or “That one looks like a family member.” They felt surprisingly approachable and sparked my imagination. The explanation that “at the end of one's life, the person you wish to see most will appear before you as a Bodhisattva to lead you to the Pure Land” made it a truly moving experience.

Even though I knew the term “Pure Land,” I had never particularly imagined it before. However, visiting the Byodoin Phoenix Hall—where architecture, sculpture, painting, and gardens become one with the surrounding nature, light, and reflections—felt like a simulated experience of the Pure Land itself. This attempt to manifest an ideal world in a concrete form during an era of social anxiety has been carefully preserved to this day, allowing us to touch the depth of faith and the aesthetic sense of the people of that time.

Byodoin Phoenix Hall
https://www.byodoin.or.jp/
Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/

References
https://www.byodoin.or.jp/learn/history/
https://www.kyoto-uji-kankou.or.jp/tourism.html
https://jodoshuzensho.jp/daijiten/index.php/末法