Yumedono di Horyu-ji
Nara· Horyu-ji Yumedono
Yumedono (the Hall of Dreams) of Horyu-ji, in Ikaruga Town, Nara Prefecture, is the central building of Horyu-ji's East Precinct. It was built in 739 by the priest Gyoshin Sozu on the site of Prince Shotoku's «Ikaruga Palace.» An octagonal hall 12 m across with a hinoki-bark-shingled roof and a jewel-shaped finial, it is the oldest octagonal hall in Japan and a National Treasure. At its center stands the Guze Kannon — said to be a life-sized image of Prince Shotoku, carved from a single block of camphor wood in the Asuka period (statue height 178.8 cm). For centuries it was wrapped in white cloth and not displayed, due to fears of curses; in 1884, Ernest Fenollosa and Tenshin Okakura unveiled it for the first time. It is visible only during limited spring and autumn openings.
Highlights
- Yumedono Exterior — an octagonal plan 12 m across, with a balanced hinoki-bark-shingled roof; the exterior may be photographed year-round
- Guze Kannon (National Treasure, hidden statue) — a single-block camphor sculpture from the Asuka period, 178.8 cm tall, said to be a life-sized image of Prince Shotoku
- Chuguji and the Edono of the East Precinct — adjacent to Yumedono, displaying replicas of the Tenjukoku Shucho thought to have been designed by Prince Shotoku
- Kamakura-Era Renovation — a worship hall was added in the 1230s; the current building preserves Tenpyo design while bearing Kamakura-period touches
- Spring and Autumn Special Openings — Spring April 11–May 18, Autumn October 22–November 22; the inner sanctum and Guze Kannon become viewable up close
Quick Answers
What is Yumedono?
The central building of Horyu-ji's East Precinct in Ikaruga Town, Nara — built in 739 on Prince Shotoku's «Ikaruga Palace» site, Japan's oldest octagonal hall and a National Treasure. It enshrines the secret Guze Kannon, a single-block camphor sculpture from the Asuka period believed to be a life-sized image of Prince Shotoku, viewable only in limited spring and autumn openings.
When is Guze Kannon shown?
Twice a year only: Spring April 11–May 18, Autumn October 22–November 22. The hidden statue was first unveiled by Fenollosa and Tenshin Okakura in 1884. Photography of the statue is prohibited; the exterior building and grounds are open year-round.
Access and admission?
20 minutes on foot from JR Horyu-ji Station or 7 minutes by bus. Combined ticket with the West Precinct (including East Precinct and Yumedono) is ¥1,500. The East Precinct alone takes 30 minutes; all of Horyu-ji takes 2–3 hours. Easy day trip from Kyoto Station — about 45 minutes by rapid train.
Architectural beauty of the octagonal hall?
Yumedono is Japan's oldest octagonal hall, ~12 m across and 9.5 m tall. The octagonal plan was chosen as a memorial form to venerate Prince Shotoku — an unusual shape distilling Tenpyo-era wooden architecture: graceful hinoki-bark roofing, eave brackets, and fan rafters. The current form was extended with a worship hall in the 1230s; the exterior reveals balanced beauty from any of its four cardinal angles.
The Shotoku legend and the Fenollosa unveiling?
Said to be Prince Shotoku's life-sized portrait, the Guze Kannon was sealed as «a hidden statue whose doors must never open» for nearly a thousand years until the Meiji era. In 1884, the American Orientalist Ernest Fenollosa and his student Tenshin Okakura succeeded in opening it, unwinding over 500 bandages — a turning point in Japanese art history. Still shown only in spring and autumn; photography of the statue is strictly forbidden.
Nearby attractions?
①Yumedono (early-morning to morning, octagonal exterior) ②Chuguji (adjacent, National Treasure half-lotus Bodhisattva) ③Horyu-ji West Precinct (Kondo and pagoda) ④Horinji and Hokiji (5 min by car, sister-temple three-tier pagodas) ⑤Central Nara (30 min by car, Todaiji and Kasuga Taisha). A full-day five-World-Heritage route — Yumedono sits at the deepest end of the East Precinct, ideal as the final, contemplative stop.
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