- Hōkyōintō
Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei] , on which is based the drawing on the right. It's 3.45 m tall and is made of andesite.
Structure and function
Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood, "hōkyōintō" started to be made in their present form during the
Kamakura period . Like a "gorintō ", they are divided in five main sections called (from the bottom up) nihongo|"kaeribanaza"|反花座, or "inverted flower seat", nihongo|"kiso"|基礎, or base, nihongo|"tōshin"|塔身|, or body, nihongo|kasa|笠, or umbrella, and nihongo|"sōrin"|相輪, or pagoda finial. The "tōshin" is the most important part of the "hōkyōintō" and is carved with aSanskrit letter. The "sōrin" has the same shape as the tip of a five-storied pagoda. The "kasa" can also be called nihongo|yane|屋根, or roof. It's decorated with four characteristic wings called nihongo|"mimikazari"|耳飾 or nihongo|"sumikazari"|隅飾. Different structures exist, and the "hōkyōintō" property of the Yatsushiro Municipal Museum in Kyushu for example is divided in just four parts, with no "kaeribanaza". The sutras contain all the pious deeds of aTathagata Buddha, and the faithful believe that praying in front of a "hōkyōintō" their sins will be canceled, during their lives they will be protected from disasters and after death they will go to heavenYatsushiro Municipal Museum] .The "hōkyōintō" tradition in Japan is old and is believed to have begun during the
Asuka period (550-710 CE). They used to be made of wood and started to be made in stone only during the Kamakura period. It is also during this period that they started to be used also as tombstones and cenotaphs.Notes
References
* Iwanami nihongo|
Kōjien |広辞苑 electronic Japanese dictionary, Version 1.7.1 ja icon
* [http://www.city.yatsushiro.kumamoto.jp/museum/event/per_ex1/pdf/hokyointo.pdf Shinkō no Katachi - Hōkyōintō] , Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, accessed on September 18, 2008 ja icon
* cite web
url=http://www.japanknowledge.com
title=Nihongo|Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei|日本歴史地名大係, online version
work= Hatakeyama Shigeyasu no Haka
publisher=Heibonsha
language=
accessdate=2008-09-18 ja icon
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