Muroji Temple

JAPAN, Nara, Uda

The temple is located on Mount Muro and is a major branch temple of the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism. It was founded during the rule of Emperor Konin (reigned 770–781) and Emperor Kammu (reigned 781–806) by monk Kenkyo, and later expanded to its present size by his disciple. During the early Heian period (794–1185), when monk Kukai established the Shingon school, women were forbidden from entering temples. This temple was the single exception, and as a result eighty percent of the devotees are female. It is therefore also called Women’s Koya-san, in contrast to the nearby Koya-san which only admitted men. The temple was renovated in 1698 during the Edo period.
The principal buildings of the temple are the Gate of Benevolent Kings, Golden Hall, initiation hall, five-story pagoda, and Maitreya Hall. The five-story pagoda, Golden Hall, and initiation hall were listed as National Treasures in the early 1950s. The Golden Hall and initiation hall are both five-by-five bay structures. The Golden Hall was built during the early Heian period (794–1185) and has a single-eave hip roof covered with cypress bark. There is an extended worship area in the front supported by pillars and surrounded by low balustrades. Enshrined within the hall on a Sumeru platform there are statues of the standing Sakyamuni Buddha and an Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara, as well as five other statues, fronted by a row of Twelve Chinese Zodiac Deities. A mandala is depicted on the wall behind the Sumeru throne. The initiation hall, built in 1308 during the Kamakura period, serves as the main hall of the temple and is used for Vajrayana Buddhist ceremonies. It has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered in cypress bark. A seated statue of Cintamanicakra Avalokitesvara is enshrined within. The five-story pagoda is 16.1 m high and is the smallest five-story pagoda in Japan. The roof is also covered in cypress bark. The Maitreya Hall was relocated from Kofukuji Temple, and has a hip-and-gable roof covered in cypress bark. The simple yet elegant hall houses statues of Sakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Bodhisattva.
There are numerous strangely shaped caves within the grounds of the temple. One of the caves is known as Dragon Cave because of its shape, and was formerly called Dragon King Temple. The temple is located on a steep mountainside, with halls and pagodas scattered around the foot of the mountain. It is one of the few temples with a natural landscape within its compound.