◆Historical Heritage of the Kakogawa River Basin 008◆ Jodoji Temple, Ono City, Hyogo Prefecture: The Golden Amida Nyorai — The Jododo Hall Designed with Light
In "Historical Heritage of the Kakogawa River Basin 007," I introduced Jodoji Temple in Ono City, Hyogo Prefecture.
The most moving moment at the Jododo Hall of Jodoji Temple arrives at dusk from autumn to winter.
The light of the sun, tilting toward the west, shines into the Jododo Hall, and the Amida Nyorai begins to glow in a golden hue.
At first glance, it appears as if the setting sun is directly illuminating the Buddha statue, but in reality, a much more ingenious mechanism is at work.
1. The Mechanism Behind the Golden Glow of the Amida Nyorai
Please look at Figure 1, a diagram of the external light reflection path.
This is a schematic diagram also introduced in research by Tokyo University of the Arts.
Looking at this diagram, we can see that it is not that "the setting sun is directly illuminating the Amida Nyorai," but rather thatthe soft light reflected once off the wooden parts of the underside of the roof (the inner roof) illuminates the Amida Nyorai as if enveloping itin light.
The yellow lines in the diagram represent the path of the sunlight.
(Source: Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts)
1-1. The Setting Sun Enters the Hall
As evening approaches, sunlight enters the hall through the shitomido (lattice shutters) on the west side.
During this time of day, the sun's altitude is low, so the light enters the hall at a nearly horizontal angle.
1-2. Reflection off the Wooden Underside of the Roof
The light that enters does not reach the Amida Nyorai directly.
It first hits the wooden parts of the inside of the roof (the inner roof) and reflects significantly.
These wooden parts have turned an amber color over many years, creating a soft and warm light.
Therefore, it is not harsh direct sunlight that pours down on the Amida Nyorai, but rather a soft light, much like a spotlight.
1-3. Light Enveloping the Amida Nyorai
The reflected light illuminates the face, chest, and folds of the robes of the Amida Nyorai.
The delicate expressions carved by Kaikei and the three-dimensional quality of the robes emerge, and the entire statue appears to shine in a golden color.
Because this light does not hit from the front but rather pours down from a slightly diagonal angle above, the entire Buddha statue is enveloped in a mystical atmosphere.
1-4. Spatial Staging to Experience the Pure Land
The Amida Nyorai is the Buddha of the Western Pure Land.
Therefore, the light shining in from the west is not merely a natural phenomenon, but is considered to bean architectural expression of the Pure Land faith, representing "the Amida Nyorai coming from the Western Pure Land to welcome people."Architecture, sculpture, and sunlight become one to recreate the Pure Land in a physical space.
The Jododo Hall can truly be called "religious architecture that uses light as a material."
2. A Meticulously Calculated Design, Not a Coincidence
This lighting effect was not born by chance.
In the Jododo Hall,
- The orientation of the building
- The position of the western shitomido
- The placement of the Amida Triad
- The structure of the roof interior
- The angle at which the light is reflected
are all designed to work in unison.
This means that what we call "lighting design" today was achieved using only natural light about 830 years ago in the Kamakura period.
3. "Lighting Effects" of the Kamakura Period
Modern museums use spotlights to make exhibits look beautiful.
However, at Jodo-ji Temple's Jododo Hall, in an era without electricity, they used sunlight itself as lighting.
Furthermore, the light is not directed straight at the statue; it is designed to softly envelop the entire Buddha statue by first reflecting off the attic ceiling.
This sophisticated use of light is highly regarded in the fields of Japanese architectural and art history, and is one of the reasons why Jododo Hall is carefully preserved as a National Treasure.
4. Summary
I hope you now understand that the Amida Nyorai statue does not shine because the "setting sun hits it directly," but rather because natural light reflected off the attic ceiling envelops the Amida Nyorai, creating a space that allows one to experience the Pure Land.
However, this moving moment cannot be seen at any time; it occurs during the twilight hours from autumn to winter.
Moreover, the weather must be clear.
Locals believe that those who are able to witness that divine appearance will be blessed with happiness.