By SHIORI SATO/ Staff Writer
November 4, 2019 at 07:00 JST
The “Amida Sanzon Jodo-zu” painting enshrined in the Jikido dining hall of Yakushiji temple in Nara (Shiori Sato)
NARA--World Heritage site Yakushiji temple here is opening its Jikido dining hall, Saito tower and Genjo-sanzoin Garan hall to the public for a special fall presentation until Nov. 30.
Enshrined inside the Jikido, where monks eat and perform spiritual ceremonies, is the “Amida Sanzon Jodo-zu,” a 6-meter-square painting of a Buddha triad. The dining hall was reconstructed in 2017.
The artwork is surrounded by a 50-meter-long series of murals detailing the introduction of Buddhism into Japan and the establishment of the temple.
All are the work of Toshio Tabuchi, a disciple of the renowned late Japanese painter Ikuo Hirayama.
“The Amida Sanzon Jodo-zu was awe-inspiring, and its vivid colors were so beautiful. The murals were also magnificent,” said Makiko Takahashi, 53, a corporate executive from Sapporo, who visited the temple.
At the Saito tower, visitors can check out bronze statues representing the last four of the eight phases of Buddha’s life, called the “Shaka Hasso.”
A statue of the monk Genjo-sanzo and Hirayama’s wall painting titled “The Great Tang of the Western Regions” are on display in the Genjo-sanzoin Garan hall.
A special ticket which gives access to the Jikido, Saito and Genjo-sanzoin Garan, as well as the Hakuho Garan hall generally open to the public, is 1,600 yen ($14.74) for adults.
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