a National Treasure in 1952. The pagoda stands high, and is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. Entrance into the pagoda itself is permitted only on special occasions, but it is usually open and the interior can be seen from the outside. It houses relics, sculptures, and paintings. At ground level, there are statues of four Buddhas facing different directions. Kondo The Kondo or Golden Hall is the main hall of the temple and contains a statue of Yakushi from 1603. Miedo The Miedo is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, also called Kukai, the temple's founder. It stands on the location of his original residence. The hall is opened on the 21st of each month when a memorial service is held for Kukai. Temple grounds The grounds feature a garden and pond, in which turtles and koi swim. The grounds also house an academically rigorous private school, Rakunan, from which many students are sent to elite universities. Architectural Analysis Tō-ji was rebuilt in the early Edo Period, verging on the Kamakura Period. During this rebuild, Tō-ji was dedicated to be a Shingon Buddhist temple (Shingon, a form of Vajrayana Buddhism, was brought to Japan by Kūkai, a priest in 806). These temples were typically built in the mountains and utilized more natural and demographic design elements, dictating the resulting architectural layout. In the Kamakura period, Japanese architects began to utilize technology to resist damage from earthquakes, rainfall, sun, and heat damage. These fortifications were integrated into the remodeling of Tō-ji. This style of building defending against the natural elements evolved into the Zenshūyō style, seen later on in the Kamakura period. This style utilizes the "hidden roof" innovation. Zenshūyō style temples, such as Tō-ji, are characterized by linear spacing outlines of the Garan, hinging panel doors, cusped windows called Katōmado, and decorative pent roofs called Mokoshi. Although containing many of the elements of Zenshūyō style architecture, the Tō-ji temple uses the natural land around it to dictate the layout of the garan, which is a technique used in the Heian Period and Edo Period of Japanese Architecture. This correlates with the Shingon attribution by Emperor Saga in 823. The decorative mokoshi and outfitting of modern structural technology (of the time), were most likely integrated during the remodeling of the tower in the Kamakura Period. Recognizing the historical and spiritual significance of Tō-ji, UNESCO designated it, along with several other treasures in