Toshodaiji Temple Drum Tower
Toshodaiji Temple Drum Tower
JAPAN, Nara
This drum tower is located within Toshodaiji Temple. It was rebuilt in 1240 during the Kamakura period. According to the records, the building was originally a repository for Buddha relics and sutras and is therefore also called the Relic Hall. In 1953 it was listed as a National Treasure.
The two-story three-by-two bay drum tower has a hip-and-gable roof covered in cylindrical tiles. It was built using a combination of the wayo and the daibutsu styles of the Kamakura period (1185–1333). There is a veranda around the first story and there is a balcony with low balustrades on the second story. On both stories there are doors in the central bays. These features are indications of the Japanese influence on Buddhist architecture. The miniature shrine on the first story has a golden turtle-shaped relic stupa that contains a Buddha relic brought from China by Master Jianzhen.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture T-Z, page 1150.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Lancaster, Lewis,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture T-Z},
pages = 1150,
title = {{Toshodaiji Temple Drum Tower}},
volume = 4,
year = {2016}}