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Hokkeji Amida Jōdoin teien ikō
法華寺阿弥陀浄土院庭園遺構

garden remains at the site of Amida Jōdoin at Hokkeji temple


Garden remains of the Nara period excavated at the site of the Amida Jōdoin of Hokkeji temple, established in 760. Although the excavation was partial and did not reveal the entire shape of the garden, a curved pond with stone pavement at the bottom was found, along with standing stones on the shore. The design of a building which stood within the pond is taken to be a three-dimensional expression of a Jōdo hensōzu (Pure Land mandala), and the garden itself thus regarded as the first Pure Land garden in Japan. It is located in the city of Nara.


Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.