Higashi Hongan-ji Temple

se_0.0

Located in the city center is a massive temple complex. Just a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Station, one can see two giant temples adjacent to each other, Higashi Honganji and Nishi Honganji. They serve as the head temples of the Jodo Shinshu's Honganji faction, boasting as the central base of Japan's largest Buddhist sect, which was divided into East (Higashi) and West (Nishi) by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Both temples are similarly structured, with Goeido (Founder's Hall: where the portrait of the sect's founder is enshrined) and Amida-do (Amida Hall: where Amitabha Buddha is enshrined) connected through a corridor. Going through the courtyard and out the main gate, one can see the cityscape of Kyoto. Both temples are located in the heart of the city where the public can freely come and go for worship. Upon entering Goeido, one can see quite a number of people praying. Particularly, Higashi Honganji's Goeido is recognized as the largest wooden structure in Kyoto, measuring 76m in length, 58m in width, and 38m in height, equivalent to a 12-story building. In terms of Japanese building area units, there's the 'jo', representing one tatami mat roughly 90cm x 180cm, slightly smaller than a single bed. Goeido can fit 927 tatami mats, making it easy to imagine the space that comfortably fits around 927 individuals. This size ranks second only to the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji in Nara Prefecture, yet the immensity of such large wooden structures remains an unaccustomed sight even after multiple experiences in Japan.