Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple Coloring Pages

The main building of Toji Temple

The Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple in Kyoto City is the main hall of the temple. Toji Temple has many buildings, but this one is the most important hall of all. Right nearby stands Japan's tallest five-story pagoda. Seeing the two standing side by side is the best sight at Toji Temple. The Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple is named a National Treasure!

It looks like a two-layered roof

When you look at it from the front, can you see how the roof looks like it is stacked in two layers? Actually, this does not mean it has two floors inside. The big roof on top is the real roof. The lower roof wrapping all the way around it is a porch-like roof added later to block rain and sunlight. So when you go inside, there is no second floor, just one huge open space!

Only the middle sticks out in front

If you look closely at the lower roof, you can see that only the middle part sticks out in front like a box and is one step higher. This is the biggest special feature of this building. Because this part sticks out, the center stands out really nicely when you look from the front. Under the part that sticks out, there are square wooden doors and symmetrical mountain-shaped wooden decorations.

Interlocking wooden beams lined up in front of the white wall

Between the top and bottom roofs, there is a white plaster wall. In front of it, square interlocking wooden pieces are lined up in a long row. These are called interlocking beams, and they are wooden parts that support the weight of the big overhang roof. They are stacked in two layers, acting as nice decorations while doing a very important job!

The front is divided neatly into seven sections

The front of the lowest level is divided into seven sections by pillars. The center section is a big double door with rows of round metal studs on it. On the left and right, windows with thin vertical bars and wooden panel doors alternate with each other. The coloring page shows this exact pattern, so try counting them!

Built after the Battle of Sekigahara

The current Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple was finished in 1603. This was right after the Battle of Sekigahara, and it is known as a great example of buildings from the Momoyama period. It was built by mixing a style brought from Song dynasty China with a traditional style native to Japan. The grand, impressive roof shows the cool strength of that era!

Color the Pillars and Doors Dark Brown

This building is made of wood, so the pillars and doors are dark brown. They have turned dark over many long years. If you layer a little bit of black over brown, it will look super cool! If you color inside the lattice windows a lighter brown, they will look different from the wooden doors. That will make the front row stand out clearly.

Leave the Wall Between the Roofs White

The wall caught between the top and bottom roofs is made of white plaster. It looks best if you leave it white without coloring it. When you color the wooden joints in front dark brown, their shapes will pop right out against the white wall behind them. This is the best part to color carefully!

Color the Roof Dark Bluish Gray

The roof is made of tiles, so dark bluish gray is perfect! If you make it pure black, it will be the same color as the pillars, and you will not be able to tell the two roof layers apart. If you make the roof gray and the pillars dark brown, the nice upward curves of the roof will look so pretty. Leave the round bumps along the edge of the roof white to make the border look sharp.

Color the Stone Base and Stairs Light Gray

The base and stairs under the building are made of stone, so let's make them light gray. Making them different from the dark brown wood makes the building look like it is standing strong on the ground. If you make each stone a slightly different shade from the one next to it, they will look rough and real! For the gravel yard in front, leave it white or just add a super light color.

The ones inside are Yakushi Buddha statues that do not hold a medicine jar

Inside the Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple, there are three Buddha statues called the Yakushi Triad. The one in the middle is Yakushi Nyorai, the one on the right is Nikko Bosatsu, and the one on the left is Gakko Bosatsu. Usually, Yakushi Nyorai is made holding a jar of medicine in his hand. But the Yakushi Nyorai at the Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple uses an older style without a jar. On the light behind him, seven small Buddhas are placed too, and they are called the Seven Yakushi Nyorai.

The Twelve Heavenly Generals that surround the pedestal

If you look at the pedestal where Yakushi Nyorai sits, you can see twelve warrior-like statues standing all around it. These are called the Twelve Heavenly Generals. They are helper Buddhas who protect Yakushi Nyorai and make his wishes come true. The number twelve is also connected to the twelve animals of the Zodiac and the twelve hours of the day.

It once burned down and was lost

Before becoming what it looks like today, the Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple was lost once. It got caught in an uprising called a Tsuchi-ikki in the year 1486 and burned down. It actually took over a hundred years to rebuild it! For a long time, the Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple did not have its main hall. The Kondo (Main Hall) of Toji Temple standing today is the building that was finally brought back after all that time.