Hamacher, Andreas

Shirai, Hikoe

Jodo-gardens have been classified as gardens representing a symbol of Jodo by nothing but a common feature of the garden's space structures that a pond is laid before the Buddhist hall. Thus skills and techniques utilized expressing Jodo remain to be explored. The present study is intended to examine Hojoji (Muryojuin) and Byodoin Temple's gardens as examples in early period of Jodo-gardens as to represent the features of the garden's space structures. For the sake of this purpose, the surroundings outside of the gardens influencing the sight of them were examined. The results of the present study show that there exists a space surrounded with a series of the Buddhist temples so as to be hidden from the surroundings outside of the garden in Hojoji Temple. Such an environment was effective in constructing a supplement space to support Michinaga's personal faith. In Byodoin Temple's garden an isolated space from the surroundings outside of the garden was designed mainly for an appreciation of Amitabha halls and the Buddhist masses by the establishment of the small Imperial palace (Kogosho). Thus centripetallism of the garden's space structured by environment of Uji, the beautiful sight of Byodoin Temple's garden and its facing the Buddhist halls is considered to be a mode of faith in Amitabha which is similar to the feature of Hojoji Temple's garden.