Byodoin Phoenix Hall: The Pure Land Floating on the 10-Yen Coin
Why is it significant?
Stand at the edge of the crescent-shaped Aji-ike pond and behold the sublime vision of the Phoenix Hall, or Hoodo, reflecting perfectly upon the mirrored water.
Key Facts
| Place | Byodoin Phoenix Hall: The Pure Land Floating on the 10-Yen Coin |
|---|---|
| Address | 116 Renge, Uji, Kyoto 611-0021, Japan |
| Geo Coordinates | 34.88960, 135.80800 |
| Part of Walk | Kyoto: Uji Green Tea Heritage, Byodoin Phoenix Hall and River Shrines |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand at the edge of the crescent-shaped Aji-ike pond and behold the sublime vision of the Phoenix Hall, or Hoodo, reflecting perfectly upon the mirrored water. Built in ten fifty-three, this breathtaking wooden masterpiece consists of a central hall, two symmetric L-shaped wing corridors, and a rear tail corridor, creating the illusion of a celestial bird spreading its wings to take flight across the water. On the twin apexes of the hipped-and-gabled roof, two bronze phoenixes, or ho-o, gleam against the blue Kyoto sky with regal majesty. Their stylized tail feathers and curved beaks are crafted with supreme elegance, poised as eternal guardians of Buddhist salvation.
Reach into your pocket, pull out a bronze Japanese ten-yen coin, and hold it up next to the building before you. You will instantly recognize this exact two-dimensional profile stamped on the coin's face, carried by millions of people across Japan every single day. Furthermore, the ten-thousand-yen banknote features the exquisite silhouette of the roof's bronze phoenix, testifying to the building's status as Japan's ultimate architectural treasure.
Inside the central sanctuary sits a colossal three-meter-tall wooden statue of Amida Buddha, carved from multiple blocks of Japanese cypress and coated in pure gold leaf by the legendary Heian sculptor Jocho. Above Amida, fifty-two delicate wooden celestial maidens and bodhisattvas float on carved clouds, playing flutes, drums, and lutes to serenade departed souls into paradise.
Notice the circular window in the front doors: when morning sunlight hits the temple, the golden face of Amida Buddha glows through the lattice, visible across the water to praying worshippers on this shore. The pure gold leaf on the statue radiates warmth across the dark interior, illuminating the fifty-two carved cloud musicians.
Exit Byodoin through the east gate and cross the footbridge to the forested sandbars of Nakanoshima Island.