Amida-dō Hall 阿弥陀堂

Official explanation

Eikandō’s main hall, the Amida-dō Hall, was built in 1597 and enshrines several of the temple’s treasures, including the Looking-back Amida (Mikaeri Amida). The building was moved here in 1607 from Shitennōji Temple in Osaka, where it had been the Mandala Hall. The relocation was ordered and financed by Toyotomi Hideyori (1593–1615), the son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), one of Japan’s “great unifiers” who campaigned to unite the country under a single government and end decades of civil war. Hideyoshi himself was known to be one of Eikandō’s greatest benefactors, and it is recorded that at one point, an image of him hung on the south side of the hall. In addition to donating the hall itself, Hideyoshi’s son Hideyori also donated a copy of the Taima Mandala, which hangs to the north of the Looking-back Amida statue. This copy, which is believed to have been made in 1302, is the oldest extant copy of the Taima Mandala and has been designated Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government.

The dais on the right holds three large tabernacles (zushi) containing several additional images, including those of the bodhisattva Jizō (left), the Eleven-headed Kannon (center), and Eikan, the seventh abbot of the temple (right). The hall’s coffered ceiling is richly decorated with a “multitude of flowers” (hyakka) pattern.

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Amida Hall

Although the Amida Hall is somewhat smaller than the neighboring Founder’s Hall, it is more ornate and has a larger inner sanctum (naijin). These characteristics reflect the dual purposes of the building: to enshrine a statue of Amida Buddha, the central deity in Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) Buddhism, and to represent the brilliance and contentment of the Pure Land, the paradise that represents perfect enlightenment—the ultimate goal to which Buddhists aspire.

The current Amida Hall was completed in 1895, replacing the previous hall, which had burned down in 1864 along with the rest of the temple complex. The building’s wide-sweeping hip-and-gable roof is supported by rounded pillars fashioned out of giant trees. These were procured throughout Japan during the 15 years it took to rebuild the temple and transported to Kyoto by followers of Jodo Shinshu. Visitors are welcome to attend the morning ceremony held in the hall daily from 7:00 a.m.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.