ABSTRACT

When Empress Genmei (661–721) announced the establishment of the new capital, Heijō-kyō, in 708, Fujiwara no Fuhito (659–720) created a new city that formed one whole with several Buddhist temples. During the eighth century, Tōdaiji and Kōfukuji, representing the Kegon and Hossō schools respectively, became increasingly significant in both religious and institutional terms. It is unclear just how well developed these monastic complexes were at their foundation in the Nara period (710–794) but over the course of the following Heian period (794–1185) these Nara temples gradually developed into powerful “gates of power” (kenmon) consisting of elaborate internal lineages and sub-temples, or monzeki. When the capital moved to Heian-kyō (Kyoto) in 794, the temples continued to flourish, and became known as the Southern Temples, in contrast with the new capital’s Northern Temples—among which Tendai’s Enryakuji was undoubtedly the most important. Both the Northern and the Southern establishment developed their own elaborate ritual and institutional framework, but there was much more to classical and early medieval Japan’s religiosity than these large Buddhist institutions.