Tahōtō

Atahōtō(多宝塔,lit. many-jewelled pagoda)is a form ofJapanese pagodafound primarily atEsotericShingonandTendaischoolBuddhist temples. It is unique amongpagodasbecause it has an even number of stories (two). (The second story has abalustradeand seems habitable, but is nonetheless inaccessible and offers no usable space.)Its name alludes toTahō Nyorai, who appears seated in a many-jewelled pagoda in the eleventh chapter of theLotus Sutra.With square lower and cylindrical upper parts, amokoshi'skirt roof', a pyramidal roof, and afinial, thetahōtōor the largerdaitōwas one of theseven hallsof aShingontemple.After theHeian period, the construction of pagodas in general declined, and newtahōtōbecame rare. Six examples, of which that atIshiyama-dera(1194) is the earliest, have been designatedNational Treasures.There are no examples inChina, whetherarchitecturalorpictorial, of anything that resembles thetahōtō, although there is aSong dynastytextual reference to a 'tahōtōwith an encircling chamber'.
Thehōtō(宝塔)or treasure pagoda is the ancestor of thetahōtōand dates to the introduction to Japan of Shingon and Tendai Buddhism in the ninth century.No woodenhōtōhas survived, although modern copies do exist.  They are usually made from stone, bronze, or iron, and specimens are always miniatures comprising a foundation stone, barrel-shaped body, pyramid roof, and a finial.
While thetahōtōis 3x3ken(bays), a larger 5x5 ken version exists, known asdaitō(大塔)or 'large pagoda'.This is the only type oftahōtōto retain the original structure with a row of pillars or a wall separating the corridor (hisashi) from the core of the structure, abolished in smaller pagodas.Daitōused to be common but, of all those ever built, only a few are still extant. One is atWakayama prefecture'sNegoro-ji, another atKongōbu-ji, again in Wakayama, another at Kirihata-dera,Tokushima prefecture, another atNarita-sanin Chiba. (See the respective list entries.)Kūkaihimself, founder of the Shingon school, built the celebrateddaitōforKongōbu-jionKōyasan; almost fifty metres high, chronicles relate that 'the mightiness of its single storey outdoes that of multi-storeyed pagodas'.The specimen found at Negoro-ji (see photo above) is 30.85 meters tall and aNational Treasure.
Japanese pagodashave an odd number of stories.While thetahōtomay appear to be twin-storied, complete withbalustrade, the upper part is inaccessible with no usable space.The lower roof, known as amokoshi, provides shelter and the appearance of an additional storey.
Raised over thekamebaraor 'tortoise mound'(亀腹), the ground floor has a square plan, 3x3kenacross, with a circular core.Inside, a room is marked out by theshitenbashiraor 'four pillars of heaven'(四天柱), a reference to theFour Heavenly Kings.Themain objects of worshipare often enshrined within.
Above is a second 'tortoise mound', in a residual reference to thestupa.Since exposedplasterweathers rapidly, a natural solution was to provide it with a roof, themokoshi.Above again is a short, cylindrical section and a pyramidal roof, supported onfour-stepped brackets.
Like all Japanese pagodas, thetahōtōis topped by a vertical shaft known as thesōrin(相輪).This comprises the base or 'dew basin'; an inverted bowl with attachedlotuspetals; nine rings; 'water flame'; andjewel.The finial's division in sections has a symbolic meaning and its structure as a whole itself represents a pagoda.
A number of smaller versions of thetahōtōare known, of stone, bronze, iron, or wood, and similar to thehōtō.
A number ofmandalashow the Iron Stupa in southernIndia, where the patriarchNāgārjunareceived theEsoteric scriptures, as a single-storey pagoda with a cylindrical body, a pyramidal roof, and a spire.The forms used in thetahōtō, namely the square, circle, triangle, semi-circle, and circle, may represent theFive Elementsor theFive Virtues.The egg-shapedstupamound oraṇḍamay representMount Sumeru, with the finial as the axis of the world; or, by a folk interpretation, the square base may represents a folded robe, the dome an overturned begging bowl, and the spire awalking staff.Thetahōtōserved not as a reliquary tower but often as an icon hall.