Yasaka Pagoda (Hokan-ji): The Timeless Silhouette of Higashiyama
Why is it significant?
Pause at the crest of the narrow cobblestone alley and behold the breathtaking sight of Yasaka Pagoda rising forty-six meters into the sky, framed by sloping tiled roofs and weeping cherry branches.
Key Facts
| Place | Yasaka Pagoda (Hokan-ji): The Timeless Silhouette of Higashiyama |
|---|---|
| Address | 388 Yasakakamicho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0827 |
| Geo Coordinates | 34.99850, 135.77920 |
| Part of Walk | Kyoto's Sacred Paths: Gion Geishas, Wooden Temples, and Stone Zen Gardens |
| Generated | Generated |
Pause at the crest of the narrow cobblestone alley and behold the breathtaking sight of Yasaka Pagoda rising forty-six meters into the sky, framed by sloping tiled roofs and weeping cherry branches. Known formally as Hokan-ji, this five-story timber pagoda is the quintessential, most iconic postcard view of traditional Kyoto.
According to ancient temple records, the original pagoda was erected in five hundred and ninety-two by Prince Shotoku, the legendary founding father of Japanese Buddhism, inspired by a dream. The current wooden structure, rebuilt in fourteen forty by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori, has survived over five centuries of typhoons and earthquakes thanks to its central heart pillar, or shinbashira, an enormous single cypress trunk suspended from the apex that sways like a pendulum to absorb seismic shockwaves.
You can peer through the wooden lattice into the base to glimpse statues of the Five Dhyani Buddhas gleaming in the shadows.
Continue climbing the stone flagstones into the preserved slopes of Ninenzaka.