Dismantling and Repair of the East Pagoda of Yakushiji Temple

The dismantling and repair of the East Pagoda (National Treasure) of Yakushiji temple in Nara City was underway for the first time in approximately 110 years. On June 4, the work began in earnest with a memorial service that was held in order to remove hōju (a sacred gem) in the upper section of sōrin (literally, pagoda finial). After dismantling all the roof tiles, wooden parts and platforms, and conducting an underground excavation survey, the damaged parts would be repaired and reassembled. The repair had been scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2019. (Japanese)