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Yasaka-no-to Pagoda (last rebuilt 1440)

The Yasaka-no-to pagoda is the centerpiece of Hokanji Temple, which belongs to the Kenninji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.

Tradition holds that Shotoku Taishi built the temple after being instructed to do so in a dream of the Bodhisattva Nyoirin. Although it ranked as one of the seven Engi temples at the peak of its influence, today only the five-story Yasaka-no-to pagoda and several other structures remain.

The pagoda meassures 46 meters in height and six meters to a side, and embodies the Hakuho period architectural style. During its long history, the pagoda has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt numerous times. The current structure was erected by Ashikaga Yoshinori in the year 1440. Inside the tower are five statues called the Gochi Nyoraizo Gotai (representing the Dainichi, Shaka, Ashuka, Hosho, and Mida Buddhas). Under the statue dais can be found a large, old cornerstone in the center of which is a series of three cavities, the innermost of which houses a reliquary containing bones of the Buddha.