Total Study on Ancient Temples with Statue in Japan

1991 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 01301052
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Co-operative Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 考古学(含先史学)
• Research Institution: KYOTO UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: ONOYAMA Setsu Department of Archaeology,Faculty of Letters,Kyoto University Professor, 文学部, 教授 (50025045)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ISOGAWA Sinya Department of Archaeology,Faculty of Letters,Kyoto University Instructor, 文学部, 助手 (30127047) ; TAKAHASHI Katsuhisa Department of Archaeology,Faculty of Letters,Kyoto University Instructor, 文学部, 助手 (50226825) ; HISHIDA Tetsuo Department of Archaeology,Faculty of Letters,Kyoto University Instructor, 文学部, 助手 (20183577) ; SHIMIZU Yoshihiro Department of Archaeology,Faculty of Letters,Kyoto University Instructor, 文学部, 助手 (90127093) ; KAMATA Motokazu Department of Japanese History,Faculty of Letters,Kyoto University Profess, 文学部, 助教授 (50092747)
• Project Period (FY): 1989 – 1991
• Keywords: statue / Yukinodera / Ancient temple

Research Abstract

We have excavated one of ancient temples named YUKINODERA in Shiga Prefecture in Japan. After four seasons excavations we synthesized the outcome of excavations and additional studies. In consequence we issued a research report titled "The Study of Ancient Temples using buddhistic statue". In this volume Setsu Onoyama, the director of this project, maintained that the time using statue at ancient temples was Hakuho era and Tempyo era - from the second half of the 7th century to the 8th century A.D. and that gradually influence of the early Tang dynasty style decreace. Kanekatsu Inokuma examined technique of making statue and the way to use it. He thought statue of YUKINODERA was used in Stupa and two-piece moulds were adopted. The excavations at YUKINODERA site were carried out by Hidenori Okamura, Tetsuo Hishida and Katsuhisa Takahashi. Good remains of statue could not be found out, but they brought out a great deal of important informations about the character of this temple. It is sure that statue was used only in stupa here. And they have succeeded in finding another two buildings constructed on foundation stone in the western area of the stupa. One of the two seems to be a lecture hall of the temple. Around the other were found many pottery sherds including glazed pottery. This kind of pottery is so rare in this district that YUKINODERA was no lower temples than those in the central region KINAI district in Japan. Sinya Isogawa reexamined the bronze bell of Ryuoji temple which is located at YUKINODERA site. He showed it was made in Tempyo era - the 8th century. Ryuhei Maruyama considered the relation of temples and tumuli along the Hino River. In addition, Yoshihiro Shimizu examined the technique of making statue by observing the cross section of materials.