Burakuji Temple Medicine Buddha Hall

JAPAN, Kochi, Nagaoka

Burakuji Temple is said to have been founded by eminent monk Gyoki during the Nara period (710–794). The temple flourished under the protection and support of the feudal lord Yamanouchi during the Edo period (1615–1868). It belongs to the Chisan branch of Shingon school. The Medicine Buddha Hall was built in 1151 and it is the oldest remaining structure in Shikoku from the Heian period (794–1185). It was listed as a National Treasure in 1952.
The five-by-five bay hall has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with cypress shingles. It has a gently sloping roof with eaves slightly upturned at the corners. The three central bays have partition doors, while the outer bays have windows with vertical bars. The hall is surrounded by a veranda. Statues of Sakyamuni, Amitabha, and Medicine Buddhas are enshrined inside the hall. The statues are from the Heian period and have been listed as Important Cultural Properties.