Toji Temple - Kondo Hall (Kyoto, Japan)
Toji Temple - Kondo Hall
Tō-ji Temple, also known as Kyō-ō-gokoku-ji (The Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan. The Kondo is the largest structure in To-ji. The original hall was built in the 8th century but burned down in 1486 and was reconstructed in 1603. It is the finest structure in To-ji. The building combines the Japanese double-roofed irimoya style and the Indian tenjiku style into one building.
in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, housing treasures and documents from the early Heian period and the Tang dynasty, and with buildings in its complex covering the Kamakura, Muromachi, Momoyama, and Edo periods. Five of these buildings have been designated National Treasures in two different categories: the Lotus Flower Gate (rengemon), the Miei Hall (mieidō), the Golden Hall (kondō) and the five-storied Pagoda (gojūnotō) (temple buildings) and the Kanchiin Guest Hall (kanchiin kyakuden) (residences).
Tō-ji was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
In 1995, the temple was the stage of the Yanni World Tour,
On July 7, 2007, one of the Live Earth concerts (held to raise awareness of the earth's climate) was staged at Tō-ji; artists who played included Bonnie Pink, Michael Nyman, Rip Slyme, UA and the Yellow Magic Orchestra.