Examples of Buddhist architecture in Japan
Japanese Buddhist architecture is the architecture of
Buddhist temples in Japan, consisting of locally developed variants of architectural styles born in
China. After
Buddhism arrived the continent via
Three Kingdoms of Korea in the 6th century, an effort was initially made to reproduce original buildings as faithfully as possible, but gradually local versions of continental styles were developed both to meet Japanese tastes and to solve problems posed by local weather, which is more rainy and humid than in China. The first Buddhist sects were
Nara's six , followed during the Heian period by
Kyoto's
Shingon and
Tendai. Later, during the
Kamakura period, in
Kamakura were born the
Jodo and the native Japanese sect
Nichiren-shu. At roughly the same time
Zen Buddhism arrived from China, strongly influencing all other sects in many ways, including architecture. The social composition of Buddhism's followers also changed radically with time. In the beginning it was the elite's religion, but slowly it spread from the noble to warriors, merchants and finally to the population at large. On the technical side, new woodworking tools like the framed pit saw and the
plane allowed new architectonic solutions.