Byôdô-in is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo Pure Land sect in the city of Uji just south of Kyoto. Originally built in 998 as a villa for renowned Heian-period aristocrat Fujiwara Michinaga, it was later converted into a temple by Michinaga's son Yorimichi in 1052. The crown jewel of Byôdô-in is a hall called the Hôôdô, or Phoenix Hall. Though the rest of the temple has been lost to repetitive fires, the Hôôdô has not and stands as one of the few buildings in Japan that are still standing from the Heian Period. The Hôôdô is known for its striking architecture, but it is also renown for its statue of Amida Buddha carved by Jocho, one of the most celebrated sculptors of the time. Jocho's statues represent the figures with a very comfortable and relaxed body shape. With the Amida Buddha in the Hôôdô, Amida has a gentle round face and rounded shoulders to show that he is at peace, a contrast to the stern and rigid statues that predate it. The combination of the building and the statue makes the Hôôdô one of the most iconic buildings in Japan. If visitors cannot make it there, you can find it on the back of the 10 yen coin.

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 9.

As much as I love this hall, I find it very hard for people to appreciate it without the historical and art historical significance being explained, and as much as I would love to explain it to everyone, I really don't have the time or space to write it all out. So please believe me when I say that if you don't know the nitty-gritty significance but want to see a building that radiates history, please oh please go to Byôdô-in. There is a museum right behind the hall which houses many of the treasures that once were kept in the temple.