Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

Overview

The Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto are 17 sites in the Japanese cities of Kyoto, Uji, and Ōtsu, inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thirteen Buddhist temples and three Shinto shrines among them are active places of worship, alongside one castle. Kyoto was Japan's imperial capital from 794 to 1868. The temples and shrines hold daily services and seasonal festivals.

Present

The temples and shrines are active centers of worship with regular rites and annual festivals. Each of the 17 sites is independently managed. Nijō Castle, the one secular site, is managed by the city of Kyoto. Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines jointly hold the Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's major annual festivals, each spring. The sites are protected under Japanese cultural-property law, and Japanese authorities provide the owners with financial and technical support for conservation. In 1994 UNESCO designated the 17 sites a World Heritage Site.

Religious Significance

Shinto (from antiquity)

The Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines in Kyoto predate the founding of the capital. Both are dedicated to kami, the spirits or deities venerated in Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, and both have served as protective shrines for the city throughout its history. Ujigami Shrine in Uji enshrines an early emperor and two princes. Worshippers visit the shrines for purification rites, blessings, and seasonal festivals.

Buddhism (from the 8th century CE)

The 13 temples represent the major schools of Japanese Buddhism as they took root in and around the capital. Enryaku-ji, on Mount Hiei above the city, is the headquarters of the Tendai school and trained many of the founders of later Japanese Buddhist movements. Tō-ji is a center of Shingon Buddhism, a school of esoteric ritual and meditation. Byōdō-in in Uji embodies Pure Land Buddhism, whose followers aspire to rebirth in the paradise of Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light. Several temples, including Tenryū-ji, Ryōan-ji, Kinkaku-ji, and Ginkaku-ji, belong to Zen, a school centered on seated meditation. Together the temples show how Buddhism developed in Japan and spread from the capital, and all continue as places of practice.

History & Structure

Emperor Kanmu founded Kyoto in 794 as Heian-kyō, a planned capital modeled on the imperial cities of China. The 17 sites were built between the 8th and 17th centuries and together comprise 198 buildings and 12 gardens, of which 38 buildings are designated National Treasures of Japan. The architecture is predominantly wooden. Among the sites, Kiyomizu-dera is known for its wooden stage projecting from a hillside on tall pillars, Kinkaku-ji for its pavilion covered in gold leaf beside a pond, Ryōan-ji for its rock garden of raked gravel and 15 stones, and Byōdō-in for its Phoenix Hall, built in the 11th century beside a reflecting pond. Fourteen of the sites are in Kyoto, two in Uji to the south, and one, Enryaku-ji, on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu to the northeast. In 1994 UNESCO designated the 17 sites a World Heritage Site.

Additional Resources

• UNESCO: Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
• Book: Kyoto: A Cultural History by John Dougill (2006)