Zutō: A Nara-Period Earthen Buddhist Tower in Japan
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Japan
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Pagoda
On this page8 sections
History
Zutō is an earthen Buddhist tower in Nara, Japan, rebuilt in 767 during the Nara period under the direction of the monk Jitchū. The era, when Heijō-kyō served as Japan’s imperial capital, was marked by strong links between Buddhism, government, and state-sponsored temples. Tōdaiji patronized the monument, which was intended to protect the state.
Earlier tower and Jitchū’s reconstruction
The present monument replaced a three-tiered earthen tower constructed in 760 by an unidentified builder. That earlier tower had been raised over a sixth-century kofun, an ancient Japanese burial mound, after the mound was destroyed. In 765, Ryōben, the founding abbot of Tōdaiji, had ordered Jitchū to build an embankment and pond in the Kasugadani area south of the temple. This work formed part of an effort to extend Tōdaiji’s domain, and the later reconstruction of Zutō contributed to the development of the hill south of the original temple precincts.
Jitchū appears to have taken over the earlier project and almost entirely dismantled its tower body before rebuilding it. The Tōdaiji Yōroku records the 767 construction and identifies Jitchū as the supervising monk. The resulting monument became an advanced Buddhist tower of the late Nara period. Ishida Mosaku later interpreted its design as incorporating a new style derived from India. A structurally similar earthen tower survives at the former Ōno-dera site in Sakai.
The Genbō tradition
By the late Heian period, the monument’s original connection with Jitchū had been forgotten. Zutō was incorporated into the enlarged grounds of Kōfuku-ji, near Bodai-in, which was associated with the burial place of Genbō, an influential eighth-century Buddhist monk and court religious figure. This setting gave rise to the tradition that Zutō was Genbō’s head tomb. Ōe Chikamichi recorded that tradition in the Shichidaiji Junrei Shiki in 1140, after which it became widely known. The earlier name dōtō, meaning “earthen tower,” is thought to have changed in pronunciation to Zutō, while the Genbō tradition encouraged the use of characters meaning “head tower.”
Investigation and protection
The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties began archaeological investigations at Zutō in 1986. The northern half was subsequently restored and conserved, while the southern half was kept in the condition it had held before excavation. Zutō became a National Historic Site on 8 March 1922. Twenty-two stone Buddha images are collectively Important Cultural Properties: thirteen images that had originally been exposed received the designation in 1977, and nine of fourteen images found during later excavation were added in 2002.
Remains
Seven-tiered earthen tower
Zutō has the form of a seven-tiered square-step pyramid, with an earthen core covered in stone. It stands on a square platform measuring 32 metres on each side and 1.2 metres high. Each higher tier becomes 3 metres smaller on every side, leaving an uppermost tier 6.2 metres square. The odd-numbered tiers rise 1.1 metres, while the even-numbered tiers rise 0.6 metres. From the base platform to the top, the monument is approximately 10 metres high.
The tower body was built with rammed earth, formed by compacting successive layers of soil. Its original arrangement is estimated to have contained 44 stone Buddha images, with eleven placed on each side. This combination of a tamped-earth structure, stone facing, and images on all four sides gives Zutō its distinctive architectural form.
Stone Buddha images
The Buddha images are carved chiefly in bas relief, meaning that their forms project slightly from the stone surface. Others use linear carving, and some retain traces of paint. Following restoration, the images on the eastern, western, and northern sides were installed in roofed wall niches. The southern images remain placed directly on the earth, within the preserved southern half of the monument.
Excavated layers and surviving setting
Excavation beneath the present tower exposed the remains of the earlier three-tiered structure and confirmed its position over the destroyed sixth-century burial mound. The southern half of Zutō is retained as a wooded area known as the “Zutō Forest,” while the northern half has been restored. The monument was formerly screened by surrounding buildings; after the adjacent Hotel Wellness Asukaji was demolished, Zutō became visible from the surrounding area.
