Shitennō-ji Audio Guide

Shitennō-ji: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Shitennoji

   Welcome to Shitennoji, written 四天王寺 in Japanese, in Tennoji Ward in the heart of Osaka. This is the head temple of the Washu Buddhist school. Its mountain name is Arahakasan, and its principal image is Guze Kannon, a form of the compassionate bodhisattva Kannon. It is counted among the seven great temples said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku, and it is the first stop on the New Western Japan Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage, one of many pilgrimage circuits that include it. What makes it special is the contrast. You are in the middle of a big modern city, yet the temple grounds are known for a deep stillness, as if time had slowed down. Over the next few stops, I will take you through the legend of its founding, the unusual layout of its buildings, and the way the temple was rebuilt again and again after disaster. As you walk in, keep your eyes on the line of buildings in the central precinct. That line is the secret to understanding the whole place.

2. 02

   A Vow Made in Battle at Shitennoji

   Let us go back to the year 587. Two powerful clans were locked in a struggle. The Soga clan favored the new religion of Buddhism, while the Mononobe clan opposed it. The Soga army marched on the Mononobe stronghold in the province of Kawachi, in what is now Higashiosaka. The Mononobe leader, Moriya, built a fort of piled rice sheaves and shot arrows from the top of a tree. Three times the Soga forces were driven back. Behind their lines stood a boy of 14, Prince Umayado, whom history remembers as Prince Shotoku. Legend says that, watching the battle go badly, he made a vow to the Four Heavenly Kings, the guardian deities of Buddhism, promising to build a temple in their honor if victory came. The temple's name, which means Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings, is tied to that story. The written record is more cautious. The Chronicles of Japan say that in the first year of Empress Suiko's reign, the temple was begun at Arahaka in Naniwa. Historians note that this entry could mean the start of construction or its completion, and that the first year may simply have been chosen as an auspicious date. What is certain is that the temple already existed in Suiko's time, because roof tiles from that era have been found beneath the remains of the Early Naniwa Palace.

3. 03

   The Straight Line of Shitennoji

   Now look at how the buildings are arranged, because this is what Shitennoji is famous for. The temple gives its name to a layout known as the Shitennoji style, regarded as the oldest temple arrangement in Japan. The Inner Gate, the five-story pagoda, the main hall and the lecture hall stand in a straight line from south to north, all enclosed by covered corridors. Think of it as a processional axis. You enter at the gate, pass the pagoda, reach the main hall, and finally arrive at the hall where teachings were given. The design guides your steps as much as it shapes the space. The five-story pagoda is the symbol of the temple. The current pagoda was rebuilt in 1959, and visitors can go inside and climb to the top, which gives you a different perspective on the whole precinct. Look closely at the carvings and decorations, which follow traditional Japanese building styles. When you stand in the central precinct, you are standing in a layout that echoes a design more than a thousand years old.

4. 04

   Rebuilt Again and Again at Shitennoji

   Here is a surprising fact about this ancient temple: most of what you see is far younger than its reputation. The Second World War destroyed nearly all of its buildings. Yet the temple rose again, thanks to donations and help from temple officials, generous individuals, companies, believers and ordinary citizens. Most current structures date from after the war and recreate the original designs as closely as possible, guided by archaeological research. Still, some treasures have stood for centuries. Outside the West Gate is a stone torii, a Shinto-style gateway, designated an Important Cultural Property and erected by imperial order in 1294. It is the oldest of the smaller structures here. At the southwest corner is the Yuya Hojo, once living and bathing quarters for monks, most recently rebuilt in 1623. Just north of the central precinct stands the Rokujido, also built in 1623, and to the northeast is the Gochikoin, the Temple to the Light of the Five Wisdom Tathagatas. All three are Important Cultural Properties. To the side, the garden offers a green pause, with lotus-filled ponds and tea pavilions serving refreshments. One theory about the temple's mountain name, Arahaka, which suggests a rough burial mound, holds that a large ancient tomb once stood nearby and was cleared for the temple. Supporters point to a stone bridge in the garden that reuses a sarcophagus from an old tomb.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   As you wander on, try a little game. Find the central line of gate, pagoda, main hall and lecture hall, and then see which of the smaller buildings stand off to the sides. Ask yourself which parts of the temple look new, and which carry the weight of centuries. Shitennoji is reached easily from other parts of Osaka, and it is the kind of place that rewards slow walking. The pagoda invites you to climb, the garden invites you to pause, and the stone torii by the West Gate invites you to look at something that has stood since 1294. There is plenty more to notice here, from the pilgrimage that begins at this temple to the legend of a young prince and his vow. Let your curiosity lead you down whichever path draws you next.