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Five-Storied Pagoda
(Gojū no Tō)
Pagodas, derived from Indian stupas, house busshari, which can be either actual or symbolic relics of the Buddha. When Shitennōji Temple was founded in 593, Prince Shōtoku (574–622) placed six busshari and six hairs from his own head inside the cornerstone pillar to signify his search for salvation across the Six Realms of Buddhist cosmology. For this reason, the pagoda is also called the “Pagoda of Six Realms.”
After having been repeatedly destroyed by natural disasters and war, the pagoda was rebuilt for the eighth time in 1959. It is made from reinforced concrete. Through the efforts of architectural historians, it was reconstructed with a design faithful to the pagoda’s original appearance. A particularly notable aspect of the structure is the 9-ringed, 12.3-meter finial at its top, called a sōrin, which makes up nearly one-third of the 39.2-meter total height. Together with other reconstructed buildings in the central temple complex, the pagoda was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2022.
On the inside of the pagoda, there are murals painted by Yamashita Maki (1890–1973) that depict scenes such as Buddha figures teaching or descending from heaven. Visitors may enter the pagoda through the doors on the north side. Please refrain from touching the murals, statues, or offerings.
After having been repeatedly destroyed by natural disasters and war, the pagoda was rebuilt for the eighth time in 1959. It is made from reinforced concrete. Through the efforts of architectural historians, it was reconstructed with a design faithful to the pagoda’s original appearance. A particularly notable aspect of the structure is the 9-ringed, 12.3-meter finial at its top, called a sōrin, which makes up nearly one-third of the 39.2-meter total height. Together with other reconstructed buildings in the central temple complex, the pagoda was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2022.
On the inside of the pagoda, there are murals painted by Yamashita Maki (1890–1973) that depict scenes such as Buddha figures teaching or descending from heaven. Visitors may enter the pagoda through the doors on the north side. Please refrain from touching the murals, statues, or offerings.
