Toji Temple, Kyoto

To-ji, a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect in Kyoto, of which the name means East Temple, once had a counterpartr, Sai-ji (West Temple), and both of them stood alongside the Rashomon, the gate to the Heian capital.

Formally known as Kyo-o-gokoku-ji (Japanese: The Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines), To-ji is located in Minami-ku near the intersection of Omiya and Kujo streets, southwest of Kyoto Station.

At 54.8 meters tall, the pagoda of this temple is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. Dating from the Edo period, when it was rebuilt by order of the third Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu, the pagoda has been, and continues to be, a symbol of Kyoto. Entrance into the pagoda itself is permitted only a few days a year.

Toji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".

SOURCE: Courtesy of Japan National Tourism Organization, used with permission.

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