Taya Caves, an underground wonder of ancient Buddhist artistry near Kamakura Today 06:00 am JST Today | 07:17 am JST KAMAKURA
Taya Caves is a sacred gem of Buddhist carvings in the grounds of Josen-ji Temple near Kamakura. This maze of halls and galleries is decorated with hundreds of reliefs carved into the rock, picturing Buddhist deities, past masters of Buddhism, famous temples, real and fantastic animals, mandalas, zodiac signs, and family crests.
The caves were excavated and sculpted by Shingon Buddhist monks between the Kamakura period (1192-1333) and the Edo period (1603-1868). Their history begins in the thirteenth century, when the first shogun established his government in the nearby city of Kamakura.
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One of Kyoto’s oldest temples, Daigoji, is going into space
Daigoji is launching a temple on a satellite, with its own Buddha sculpture, Buddhist scriptures and artwork
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When planning a pilgrimage to some of Japan’s most ancient temples, Kyoto may be the first place to come to mind, but one of the city’s temples is preparing to make a journey of its own – to outer space.
Kyoto Daigoji is a Shingon Buddhist temple founded in 874. The temple is a World Heritage Site containing a five-storey pagoda and a stunning pond which reflects the surrounding bright red foliage in autumn.
th to the 12
th centuries AD, is considered to be the last division of Japan’s classical era. This period began with the establishment of a new imperial capital at Heian-kyo (modern-day Kyoto), and ended with the founding of the Kamakura shogunate in 1185 AD.
Several new Buddhist sects were introduced into and flourished in Japan in this period. Although the introduction of these sects helped to reduce the power of the old Buddhist institutions, it did not necessarily increase the power of the imperial family. In fact, for much of the Heian period, power was held by the Fujiwara regents. The Heian period is also known for its cultural achievements and is considered to be the zenith of Japanese imperial court and aristocratic culture.