Nagano, Japan Temple Visit Report 2017 Ueda No.1 Anrakuji

Anrakuji Temple, Japan — The Only Wooden Octagonal Pagoda Standing in the Forest

While organizing old photos, I found images of the National Treasure Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda standing deep in the forest. I visited Anrakuji Temple in Bessho Onsen, Ueda, Nagano, on September 12, 2017. I do not have many photos from that visit, but this pagoda is a very special piece of architecture, known as the only surviving wooden octagonal pagoda in Japan.

The Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda stands in the back of the temple grounds, surrounded by cedar and cypress trees.
Rather than standing brightly in the center of a tourist site, it has a quiet power, as if it has accumulated centuries of time deep in the forest.

Today, it is classified as a three-storied pagoda, but at first glance it can look like a four-storied pagoda.
This is because the lowest roof is not counted as a full story. It is interpreted as a mokoshi, a pent-roof or skirt roof attached to the main structure.
That unusual layering makes the Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda even more striking.

At a Glance

The Founding and History of Anrakuji Temple

There are several traditions about the founding of Anrakuji Temple.

One tradition says that the temple was founded by Gyoki sometime between 729 and 749.
Another tradition places its founding between 824 and 834.
However, the temple’s history before the Kamakura period is not fully clear.

By the late Heian period, Anrakuji is said to have been a temple of the Ritsu school.
Later, during the Kamakura period, Anrakuji appears more clearly in history as a Zen temple.

An important figure in Anrakuji’s history was Shokoku Isen.
He was a Rinzai Zen monk from Shinano who is said to have traveled to Song China in the mid-13th century and later returned to Japan.
Anrakuji developed with Shokoku Isen as its practical founding Zen master.

During the Kamakura period, Anrakuji flourished under the protection of the Shioda Hojo clan, who ruled the Shioda estate.
At that time, Anrakuji is thought to have been one of the important centers of Zen culture in Shinshu, attracting many monks in training.

Later, the temple declined over time, but the octagonal three-storied pagoda remained as an ancient architectural survivor.
Around 1580, the temple was revived by Takayama Junkyo, and after that it became a Soto Zen temple.

The Only Wooden Octagonal Pagoda in Japan

The most important feature of the Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda is that it is the only surviving wooden octagonal pagoda in Japan.

Most Japanese three-storied and five-storied pagodas have a square plan.
The Anrakuji pagoda, however, is octagonal.

This octagonal form is associated with Zen-style architecture influenced by architecture introduced from China.
In Japan, this type of wooden octagonal pagoda is extremely rare, and Anrakuji’s pagoda is the only surviving example.

Its value is not only its rarity.
The stability of the octagonal form, the detailed wooden structure beneath the eaves, and the experience of looking up at it in the forest all give the pagoda a strong sense of quiet power.

Why a Three-Storied Pagoda Looks Like Four Stories

The Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda can look like a four-storied pagoda at first glance.

This is because the lowest roof is not counted as a full story. It is treated as a mokoshi, a pent-roof or skirt roof attached to the main building.

For that reason, even though the roof appears to have four visible layers, the structure is classified as a three-storied pagoda.

In the photos, the roofs appear to rise in multiple layers between the trees.
This layered appearance is one of the strongest visual impressions of the Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda.

Why It Is Considered Japan’s Oldest Zen-Style Architecture

The Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda is sometimes described as Japan’s oldest surviving Zen-style architecture.

One important basis for this is dendrochronological research.
The timber used in the pagoda has been identified as having been cut in 1289, and the pagoda is thought to have been built around the 1290s.

In other words, the Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda is best understood as a building from the late Kamakura period, around the end of the 13th century.

Here, “Japan’s oldest” does not mean that Anrakuji Temple itself is the oldest temple in Japan.
It means that this pagoda is considered one of the oldest, or possibly the oldest, surviving examples of Zen-style architecture in Japan.

Historical Timeline

Why This Temple Matters

The value of the Anrakuji Octagonal Three-Storied Pagoda is not only that it is a National Treasure.

It is the only surviving wooden octagonal pagoda in Japan, a rare example of late Kamakura-period Zen-style architecture, and a building whose beauty becomes even stronger because it stands in the forest.

Anrakuji was an important temple that supported Zen culture in Shinshu during the Kamakura period.
Within that long history, the octagonal three-storied pagoda is the structure that still carries the oldest form into the present.

I only have three photos from my visit on September 12, 2017. I also do not have any photos of stone-related features at Anrakuji. Because there are so few photos, my memory of the visit has faded. Today, I have a role in writing articles for japanstones.shop. When I travel in the future, I want to visit many shrines and temples in Japan, take as many photos as possible, and turn those visits into articles.

 

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