Daigoji Temple Five-Storied Pagoda

The Oldest Wooden Building in Kyoto

The Daigoji Temple Five-Storied Pagoda (醍醐寺五重塔) is the mid-Heian five-storied pagoda in the lower precinct of Daigoji in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, which in 1951 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a three-bay, five-storey pagoda with a traditional tile roof.

According to the Agency, it was planned with the main hall in the Johei era (931 to 938) and completed after twenty years in 952.

Structure

According to the Agency, its timbers are heavy and its workmanship bold and imposing. The dismantling repair of 1954 to 1959 restored many parts and showed that its bracketing had not yet reached the fully developed three-step form.

The Agency notes that its details and painted decoration reflect the taste of the time, and Daigoji says its interior wall paintings are regarded as the source of Japanese esoteric painting.

What to Look For

The Agency values it as a precious representative of the mid-Heian period.

Daigoji says it was begun by Emperor Suzaku to pray for Emperor Daigo and completed under Emperor Murakami in 951, the oldest wooden building in Kyoto Prefecture. The Agency and the temple differ by one year on its completion.

Visiting the Daigoji Temple Five-Storied Pagoda

Daigoji is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in summer and 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in winter.

The temple layout and visiting information are on the Daigoji group page.