Asuka-dera (Hôkôji)
Hidden in a cluster of buildings on the south side of Nara Prefecture is Asuka-dera, a temple founded in the late 7th century and named after both the community and the time period. The temple was built by the Soga clan, one of the most powerful of the time. In the Asuka Period, the temple was a massive complex with a pagoda, lecture halls to the east and west, and smaller halls within the walls for sutra study and copying, farming, and living quarters. Asuka-dera would remain a premier temple until the government moved north to modern Nara. From then on the temple grounds gradually shrank from fires and disrepair, but the main hall and the buddha inside have never changed locations.
For the casual: 4. For the educated: 6.
It’s not every day that you get to come across a location like Asuka-dera. Most of us would likely drive right by if we saw it, assuming that it’s just one of any number of local temples that proliferate every corner of Japanese society. There are no towers, grand halls, or sprawling parking lots. The only access road always has at least one car, not because it’s busy, but because it’s so narrow. To all the world, there is nothing of import here, save for those who know. The first hint is in the name: Asuka. Not only is this the name of the community, but also the time; about 1400 years ago or so. And after all that time, this one hall has not moved an inch. It has stood in one form or another in this singular location for all that time. When Charlemagnes ruled the Franks, this temple was already one hundred years old. Just think on that for a moment. But how do we know how old it is? Because the buddha inside is the oldest dated buddha in Japan with an inscription dating it to 609 C.E. It’s quite battered but standing at 3 meters tall, it is still a fairly imposing figure. The rigid seated posture and corkscrew hair indicates that the statue was cast in accordance with Chinese style and design; very understandable considering buddhism had just arrived from China.
