taishidou　太子堂

KEY WORD :　architecture / buildings & structures

A hall either dedicated to Shoutoku Taishi 聖徳太子 (574-621/622), the second son of Emperor Youmei 用明 (585-587), or a building that houses a statue or painting of Shoutoku Taishi (*Shoutoku Taishizou 聖徳太子像). One example, the Taishidou at Kakurinji 鶴林寺 (1112), in Hyougo prefecture, is a 3×3 bay structure with a *magobisashi 孫廂, an enclosed 1-bay deep aisle that extends beyond the front aisle, *hisashi 廂. The overall dimensions are 8.51m×6.38m. Steps lead to the main entrance on the west side and double paneled doors, *karahafu 唐破風, open into the extended aisle. The floor is a step lower than the main part of the building and is called the *raidou 礼堂, the place for worshippers. Heavy board-backed lattice screens called *shitomido 蔀戸 are divided horizontally to open and fill the remaining bays of the west side and across the front. Originally, the east side had openings, but now is a solid plank wall. An open boarded veranda surrounds the entire building but it is at a lower level around the magobisashi. The main building has bracket complexes composed of a large bearing block into which a bracket arm, *daito hijiki 大斗肘木, is set. There are double eaves, *futanoki 二軒, and the rafters are closely spaced, *shigedaruki 繁垂木. The magobisashi has chamferred square posts, boat-shaped bracket arms, *funahijiki 舟肘木, single eaves, *hitonoki 一軒, and widely spaced rafters, *mabaradaruki 疎垂木. The roof over the main part is pyramidal, *hougyou-zukuri 宝形造, and the long extended roof and bargeboards, nagarehafu 流破風, reach from the corners of the pyramidal roof to culminate in a deep eave over the front veranda. The roof is covered with cypress bark, *hiwadabuki 桧皮葺. The interior plan consists of a 1-bay core, *moya 母屋, with four circular pillars, *shitenbashira 四天柱, marking the moya area. The rear two are *raigoubashira 来迎柱 and the wall that stretches between them is called *raigoukabe 来迎壁. Raigou refers to the descent of the Amida Buddha from his paradise in order to take up the souls of the deceased. A single-bay deep aisle, hisashi, runs around the core. Both the core and the magobisashi have finely-latticed and coffered ceilings, *kogumi goutenjou 小組格天井. Originally, the magobisashi had an open ceiling, *keshou yaneura 化粧屋根裏. Formally, the taishidou was called hokkezanmaidou 法華三昧堂and is the oldest extant taishidou of that type.

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