Kwan-non Temple - Uniformity of Temple Architecture - A Kuruma
Expedition - A Perpetual Festival - The Ni-o - The Limbo of Vanity -
Heathen Prayers - Binzuru - A Group of Devils - Archery Galleries - New
Japan - An Elegante.
H.B.M.'s LEGATION, YEDO,
June 9.
Once for all I will describe a Buddhist temple, and it shall be the
popular temple of Asakusa, which keeps fair and festival the whole
year round, and is dedicated to the "thousand-armed" Kwan-non, the
goddess of mercy. Writing generally, it may be said that in
design, roof, and general aspect, Japanese Buddhist temples are all
alike. The sacred architectural idea expresses itself in nearly
the same form always. There is a single or double-roofed gateway,
with highly-coloured figures in niches on either side; the paved
temple-court, with more or fewer stone or bronze lanterns; amainu,
or heavenly dogs, in stone on stone pedestals; stone sarcophagi,
roofed over or not, for holy water; a flight of steps; a portico,
continued as a verandah all round the temple; a roof of
tremendously disproportionate size and weight, with a peculiar
curve; a square or oblong hall divided by a railing from a
"chancel" with a high and low altar, and a shrine containing
Buddha, or the divinity to whom the chapel is dedicated; an
incense-burner, and a few ecclesiastical ornaments. The symbols,
idols, and adornments depend upon the sect to which the temple
belongs, or the wealth of its votaries, or the fancy of the
priests. Some temples are packed full of gods, shrines, banners,
bronzes, brasses, tablets, and ornaments, and others, like those of
the Monto sect, are so severely simple, that with scarcely an
alteration they might be used for Christian worship to-morrow.
The foundations consist of square stones on which the uprights
rest. These are of elm, and are united at intervals by
longitudinal pieces. The great size and enormous weight of the
roofs arise from the trusses being formed of one heavy frame being
built upon another in diminishing squares till the top is reached,
the main beams being formed of very large timbers put on in their
natural state. They are either very heavily and ornamentally
tiled, or covered with sheet copper ornamented with gold, or
thatched to a depth of from one to three feet, with fine shingles
or bark. The casing of the walls on the outside is usually thick
elm planking either lacquered or unpainted, and that of the inside
is of thin, finely-planed and bevelled planking of the beautiful
wood of the Retinospora obtusa. The lining of the roof is in flat
panels, and where it is supported by pillars they are invariably
circular, and formed of the straight, finely-grained stem of the
Retinospora obtusa. The projecting ends of the roof-beams under
the eaves are either elaborately carved, lacquered in dull red, or
covered with copper, as are the joints of the beams. Very few
nails are used, the timbers being very beautifully joined by
mortices and dovetails, other methods of junction being unknown.
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