Bedoin Temple

Byodoin is a Buddhist temple in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. This is a joint temple of the directions of Zodo Xu (Pure Land) and Tendai.

The temple was built in 998 as a rural villa of Fujiwara no Mitinaga, one of the strongest members of the Fujiwara clan. In 1052, Fujiwara no Yorimiti founded a Buddhist temple in its place.

The Byodoin Temple is home to the most beautiful of Japan’s few remaining “Pure Land Gardens,” a type of garden that was popular during the Heian period. The most famous building of the temple is the Phoenix Hall or Amida Hall, it was built in 1053 by a member of the Fujiwara clan. This is the only original building, the rest were burned down during the Civil War in 1336.

The temple also houses a museum where the temple’s treasures are exhibited, including many cultural treasures and national treasures, including 52 wooden statues of Bothisattva, the temple bell and other historical treasures.