New realizations at the Archaeological and Funereal Park of Takino Cemetery in Hokkaido (Japan)

Academic Editors: Paolo Biagi and Elisabetta Starnini Received: 21 April 2025 Revised: 19 May 2025 Accepted: 19 May 2025 Published: 21 May 2025 Citation: Cabeza‑Lainez, J.; Marquet‑Saget, V.; Rodriguez‑Cunill, I.; Puchol‑Barcina, C.; Gutiérrez‑ Villarubia, M. New Realizations at the Archaeological and Funereal Park of Takino Cemetery in Hokkaido (Japan). Land 2025,14, 1124. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/land14051124 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/). Article New Realizations at the Archaeological and Funereal Park of Takino Cemetery in Hokkaido (Japan) Joseph Cabeza‑Lainez 1,* , Victor Marquet‑Saget 1, Inmaculada Rodriguez‑Cunill 2, Cesar Puchol‑Barcina 3 and Miguel Gutiérrez‑Villarubia 1 1Department of Composition, School of Architecture, University of Sevilla, 41012 Sevilla, Spain; [email protected] (V.M.‑S.); [email protected] (M.G.‑V.) 2Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Sevilla, 41003 Sevilla, Spain; [email protected] 3Department of Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea *Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: For decades, in historical research, archeological vestiges have been linked with geomancy and cults of the mythical ancestors of a group of the population. This is par‑ ticularly true in Eastern Asia and especially in China, Korea, and Japan. A fundamental problem of Japanese archeology is that few of the remnants were realized in stone. One of the most important parts of archeological sciences is the study of Necropolises or an‑ cient interments. From the 1970s onwards, in the relatively “new” and promising land of Hokkaido, cemeteries were built with the concept of landscape in mind; this is also due to the lavish vegetation features of this northernmost island of Japan. In the case of the Takino cemetery on the plains of Sapporo, Hokkaido, whose construction began in 1982, solemnity and religiousness were incorporated by producing exact stone replicas of famous funerary landmarks from antiquity as such materials were inexistent in the Nipponese Isles. This trend to grant eternity included traditional Buddhist funereal monuments like the Stupa, Seokguram grotto, and Kamakura sites, but at a certain and exuberant point, under the influence of Isamu Noguchi, it reached Stonehenge in England and the Moai from Easter Island in Polynesia (being after all located in a remote isle of the Pacific Ocean). In this article we will outline such process of generation and overall conception, analyzing the inclusion and architectural assembly of the different compounds and the recent and ex‑ traordinary additions projected and built by the celebrity architect Tadao Ando. We expect, in this manner, to facilitate the comprehension of the significance of venerable landscape sublimated through archeology for the Nipponese modern civilization. Keywords: landscape archeology; heritage of the land; ancient stone monuments; Asian architecture; Easter Island; hypogeal chambers; architectural retrofits; Tadao Ando 1. Introduction: The Fascination of an Unknown Island For a variety of reasons, the Japanese archipelago cannot be considered an utterly an‑ cient hinterland [1]. Even from a geological point of view, its variegated igneous nature, still active, seems to eschew extreme antiquity [2,3]. The northernmost of the four large islands, Hokkaido 北海道, passes as even newer from an anthropological point of view [4], as it was only inhabited by aboriginals called Ainu (i.e., people) [5], who remained an‑ chored on the verge of the Bronze Age, until well beyond the 19th century (Figure 1). The main foundational texts of the Japanese civilization, like the Kojiki [6], 古事記, strive to con‑ vey the grandiosity attributed to immemorial times. Nevertheless, the anvil of history, by Land 2025,14, 1124 https://doi.org/10.3390/land14051124 Land 2025,14, 1124 2 of 32 virtue of Chinese sources, endorsed with recent genetic analyses, has revealed that the now prevailing Yamato people only harks back from the 3rd century C.E. at the most [7,8]. The Ainu aboriginals or their ancestors termed Emishi 蝦夷, commonly a synonym of barbarian, suggest a much older pre‑existence on these isles, a fact often disregarded or diminished by partisan historians [9]. Figure 1. Map of Japan with Takino near Sapporo in Hokkaido. It is generally accepted that the tumulus or ceremonial mound is the preferred con‑ struction on the land or soil erected by many civilizations [10], and particularly by the peo‑ ples of East Asia, with the paramount examples of Korean geomantic tumuli and Japanese Kofun 古墳. These generally consist of a set of tombs of ancient rulers in which the ter‑ racotta statuettes, named haniwa 埴輪, were deposited [11,12]. The kofun echoed Indian stupa, although it is not a tomb and later gave way to the stupa’s rebirth in variegated forms such as the Tahoto 多宝塔 or the hall of many treasures [13]. Such artificial hills were completely absent from Hokkaido’s landscape as the Ainu had other forms of reli‑ gious worship more centred on living nature and not related to man‑made constructions. Moreover, Japanese archeology faces the important issue that, as construction in stone was rare, very few remnants can be spotted by traditional excavation techniques. Therefore, for designers of ceremonial spaces at all epochs, it was imperative to imbue a sense of antiq‑ uity and, moreover, of eternity to the places where the ancestors and the deceased were revered, by performing volumetric alterations to the land [13,14], as we can read in Ho‑ race’s Ode 3.30 [15]. Consider in a parallel with Christendom, the verses of 1808 by William Blake: “And did de Countenance Divine/Shine forth upon our clouded hills?/And was Jerusalem builded here/Among these dark Satanic Mills” [16]. These outlandish lines certainly evoke the concept by virtue of which, even on the heathen lands of England, the erection of a sacred monument, particularly a funereal one, seems to have demanded a hallowed al‑ Land 2025,14, 1124 3 of 32 though natural precinct much in the image of the seven hills of Rome or other orographic formations [17]. Only ten years later, in 1818, Percy Shelley wrote about the huge statues of Ramses II at Abu Simbel: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:/Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”/No thing beside remains. Round the decay/Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare/The lone and level sands stretch far away [18,19]. Thus, clearly confirming the inspirational power of archeological vestiges on human memory and behaviour as an invariant for the erection of sacred sites and hierothesions [20]. In the case of the Sapporo area, the first precedent, which inaugurated this trend for Japanese architectural design, seems to appear in the Moerenuma Park (Figure 2) in the northern zone of the city and more specifically the scenic work known as Play Mountain [21]. Figure 2. General plan of the Moerenuma Park designed by Isamu Noguchi. In it, the Japanese‑American sculptor and landscape artist Isamu Noguchi takes ad‑ vantage of the verdant features of Hokkaido to recreate the striking imagery of Maya‑like pyramids, as Kukulkan at Chichen Itza or Palenque [21,22] (Figure 3). We need to bear in mind that Noguchi lived for some time in Mexico where the precedent of pre‑Hispanic cultures, brought to him by artist acquaintances among which ranks Frida Kahlo, exerted an indubitable attraction if not a pervasive influence [23]. At the so‑called Play Mountain, by means of bare stripes of stone superposed on the sloped turf, he creates the vision that the full potency of an ancient pyramid lies covered under thick vegetation (Figure 4), to the point that the visitors, which can occasionally be seen on its summit, play the role of acting as king‑priests of a forsaken temple [24] (Figure 5). From an ecological point of view, such pervasive creation is only natural if we realize that, as previously mentioned, grass is more abundant in Japan [25] than stone ashlars are. To prove the previous statement, let us quote a famous haiku by Basho on the lost capital of Hiraizumi: The Summer grass leaves/Ruins of the Dream/of the Warriors of Old (Trans. by author). 夏草や兵どもが夢の跡. It denotes that the only remnants of a once proud capital are the ephemeral leaves of the summer. Land 2025,14, 1124 4 of 32 Figure 3. The pyramid of Palenque. Mexico. Source: author. Figure 4. Play Mountain at Moerenuma by Isamu Noguchi. Source: Author. Figure 5. Detail of the play Mountain with stripes resembling ancient stones. Source: Author. Land 2025,14, 1124 5 of 32 In compounds like the Karesansui 枯山水 (stone miniature landscape) or at Katsura detached palace, ashlars are considered almost as venerable relics [20,21]. The dictum of the artist Joseph Beuys comes instantly to our minds at this point: “It is to us only, to imbue life to the stones so that they do not lie around, scattered as carcasses.” [26]. After a fashion, this square mound echoes a distant pyramidal landmark of south Java, the celebrated Temple of Borobudur near Yogyakarta (Indonesia) [27] to which we will refer later on (Figure 6). Comparatively, there are fewer stone monuments on the southern hemisphere than on the northern one, perhaps due to a sparser distribution of the land masses. Figure 6. View of the Borobudur Temple in JYogyakarta. All in all considered, by acting in this seductive manner, Noguchi is able to incorpo‑ rate important aspects of the aesthetics of Shintoism by revering nature as something super‑ natural and, at the same time, to beckon the essence of Zen Buddhism that pervades Nip‑ ponese idiosyncrasy [28], signalling the misty way of the occult and letting human imagi‑ nation perform the task of accomplishing what cannot be entirely revealed or uttered [29]. Previously, he had pronounced a direct reflection onto Buddhist liturgy in his cel‑ ebrated piece “Black Slide Mantra”, a kind of helical toboggan for children cum carven steps. The playground, sculpted in polished sable stone [30], is located at Odori Park in central Sapporo (Figure 7). Figure 7. Black slide mantra. Odori Park. Sapporo. Land 2025,14, 1124 6 of 32 These references are clearly supplying the Japanese fields and cities with stone mon‑ uments of an imaginary archeology stemming from a culture that, in a sense, never was. However, it could have been this way if the crucible of History would have forged the events otherwise. Slowly but surely these new forms are enriching their idealized past for the future generations and so the creations have received wide acclaim everywhere [27]. It was chiefly thorugh such powerful design examples in mind and with an eye on Buddhist rites, that the planning of the Takino funereal park was to take a start in the 1980s. 2. Materials and Methods In the first place we need to remind that Takino is not just a cemetery tucked in the outskirts of a town in the sense of Europe or the US, but rather and as the name Rei‑en 霊園 suggests, a place of pilgrimage, in which we ascend to a veritable “Sanctuary of Souls”. The departed are not merely buried and swiftly forgotten, instead they are comforted, accom‑ panied, and ever‑present in the pristine manner inherent to the Japanese ideas of afterlife and netherworld [31]. That said, in the general plan and from an architectural perspective, we can distin‑ guish three main compounds around which the whole landscape sequence orbits (Figure 8). Figure 8. General plan of the Takino Cemetery. Relating to the sculpture of Buddha, the Stonehenge circle, and the Moai alignment, the methodology will consist of a thorough and systematic analysis of the origin, impli‑ cations, and interplay of these three elements in order to improve the archeological com‑ plex and be able to assess the new realizations that have taken place at Takino, especially since 2017. 2.1. The Giant Buddha Statue As explained previously, the Daibutsu is situated in the first place. This Bud‑ dha modelled after the Kamakura statue, is completely central to the precinct of the cemetery (Figure 9), secluded by a hill, and from 2017 onwards it is preceded by a size‑ able rectangular pond (in black in Figure 8) that impedes direct entrance trough the pas‑ sageway and towards the massive sculpture weighting 1.500 tons and rising to a height of 13.5 m [29]. Land 2025,14, 1124 7 of 32 Figure 9. The Daibutsu statue at the Takino cemetery in its original configuration. The imposing figure is flanked by two symmetrical mounds, which, in this way, define an important avenue leading directly to the giant statue. We must hereby stress that the sculpture is not directly perceptible from the entrance gates to the funereal park. We need to outline that, in Japan, traditionally the Buddha image is not exposed to the outside but rather accommodated in a grand temple of timber frame as in Todai‑ji at Nara. The only exception is the Kamakara Daibutsu and this is likely due to the arson that once occurred in the hosting precinct; it was of such magnitude that the high priests of the time decided to leave the bronze statue alone without reconstructing the precedent temple [32]. In addition, stone is not the preferred material for statures of the Buddha; instead we find mostly wood or gilded bronze in some special cases. This fact builds on the scarcity of permanent remnants in Japanese archeology as already stated. In the case of Takino, to settle these problems of conservation, it was planned that the sculpture would be composed of resistant granite stone and after careful polishing, left open to the visitors among the gentle slopes of the selected area of 800 hectares (See Figure 9, above). To house it in a modern construction would have been inviable. However, soon enough, the towering image exerted an equal spiritual burden on the believers and by‑passers. The stone Buddha was considered too solemn, imposing or even melancholic. The gloomy and cold weather of this area might have played a role for such ominous perception [33]. In this respect, we can find an important transitional case of an adumbrated but not actually visible Buddha at the Byodoin (Temple of Peace) of the town called Uji. The whole precinct is an example of Amitabha Buddhism in which the pilgrimage destination to be reached was the paradise of the West. The travellers were forced to accede to the complex by the river Uji and not by the current entrance from the narrow winding streets inside the town. It is remarkable that the name Uji in Japanese 宇治 means the Kingdom of Heaven or the Heavenly Paradise [32]. The central hall is called Hôôden 鳳凰殿, the Palace of the Emperor Phoenix. It is in fact crowned by two symmetric phoenixes, which, when nested over a temple, auspicated the flow of spiritual and material perfection for the entire realm. Their mere presence suggested a breeze of harmonious sounds echoed by the peculiar wind instrument called Shô. The Hôôden was considered an emblem of Japan to the point of being reproduced life‑size as a Japanese Pavilion for the Chicago World‑Fair of 1893 (Figure 10). The person Land 2025,14, 1124 8 of 32 in charge of that pavilion was the celebrated artist and writer Okakura Kakuzo, the author of The Book of Tea, written solely in English in 1906 [33]. Figure 10. A postcard showing the front of Hôôden in Chicago (no longer extant). The relevant feature of this temple for the case of Takino is that the lattice work and oval opening of the main gates allowed to contemplate from the outside the coun‑ tenance of the Buddha without need to penetrate inside the temple (Figures 11 and 12). These elaborate process of visualization of a deity or religious image is called darshan in Sanskrit . Figure 11. View of the lattice of the Main Gates at the Hôôden in Uji. Figure 12. Three‑dimensional reconstruction of the main hall of the Buddha with the elliptic opening to see the Holy Visage without entering the precinct. Uji. Land 2025,14, 1124 9 of 32 The Byôdôin scenography and iconography are so meaningful that they have been reconstructed in places far away from Japan as in Oahu, Hawaii (US). In this careful repro‑ duction, the access and view from a body of water are duly respected; it was dedicated in 1968 in memory of the Japanese Immigration (Figure 13) [34]. Besides the Buddha, historic characters like George Washington are revered in the surroundings under the category of kami (deity). Figure 13. The Byôdôin at Oahu, Hawaii. Valley of the Temples. For esoteric theology matters, the hidden Buddha or Hibutsu 秘仏 is an invariant of East Asian religions. Since the historical Buddha Shakyamuni ascended to Heavens after entering paranirvana 涅槃 (nehan in Japanese), it cannot be manifest or appear frequently in the earthen world. Those who could possibly be summoned are the bosatsu, imper‑ sonations of the Buddha who voluntarily elected to remain in this world in order to help human beings attain nirvana in their turn [35]. For that reason, it is rare in Japan to find a statue of the Buddha exposed to the outdoors and some of the images in the temples can be regarded only on special occasions, every fifty or even one hundred years. Even the shadow of the Buddha is considered a good omen and this belief has been incorporated into a common expression of everyday Japanese language [36]. A somewhat extreme case of the former attitude is to be found at the previously re‑ ferred temple of Borobudur in the outskirts of Yogyakarta Indonesia [20]; in the third level of the pyramid we would find a retinue of curious bell‑shaped stupas, providing some spir‑ itual ring to believers (Figures 6and 14). The stupas, the first Buddhist monuments, are hollow in this case, and just through rhomboid apertures we can surmise a finely carved Buddha statue kept within. It is somewhat astounding that the original builders had to take such effort to create the sculptures (Figure 15) only to subtract them later from open view as they are perpetually put to rest behind heavy stone blocks. A less remote example of a covered Buddha is located at Gyeongju in Korea. The hill of Seokguram where it was erected, has been a consistent source of attraction for the local people and foreign travellers as well. The seemingly nondescript artificial cave indicated a novel concept of space [37] for Asia that was subsequently forsaken for centuries, until incidentally rediscovered by the Japanese, because it was mainly built in stone and since then is experiencing a revival to the point of having been declared as a World Heritage site (Figures 16–18). Land 2025,14, 1124 16 of 32 Figure 23. Stonehenge reproduction at Takino cemetery. By invoking an improbable proto‑historic past, perhaps inadvertently, the promot‑ ers of Takino created a unique opportunity of beholding an extraordinary landmark as pristine as in the same day of its erection, with no foreseeable problems of preservation unlike its Britannic counterpart. To the minds of the authors, the debate on authenticity and originality is somehow skipped since the original monument had no inscriptions, art, or reliefs of any sort. As we know, granite is an igneous rock as abundant in Japan as it is in England [19,43]. In this manner, intellectual curiosity for ancient monuments is completely satisfied in an idyllic surrounding and is hardly perturbed by the discrete interments of funeral ashes enshrined under the enge. Nature is most conveniently re‑cultured [50]. It is interesting to remark that the orientation of the stone‑blocks was somewhat altered (Figures 24 and 25), as in the replica, shattered fragments of the lintels were not left to scatter on the ground. This has shifted the possible original solar or cosmic alignments although this extreme has not been fully demonstrated [51]. We should also notice that Stonehenge’s replica does not face the central axis formed by the Buddha statue but ends in a parallel path to that axis (See Figure 7). At a given moment, the stone circle incorporated a sheltered altar (Figure 26) with three Buddha figures. This element was later removed as it produced mixed interpreta‑ tions. Under the circle there is a glazed locked chamber accessible through stairs, which contains the ashes of the departed in some 400 air‑tight metal niches. The number of urns can be expanded to a certain extent. Also, the sculpture of the Buddha was previously in direct visual connection with the stone circle. In the new configuration after 2017, this is no longer possible (Figures 9and 27), wherein the importance of the Stonehenge circle is strengthened and counterpoints the whole picture. Figure 24. Plan of Takino’s Stonehenge replica. Due north is upside. Land 2025,14, 1124 17 of 32 Figure 25. Plan of the original Stonehenge monument. It is slightly tilted with respect to Figure 23. Figure 26. The Stonehenge replica with a former Buddhist altar. Figure 27. The Stonehenge replica with the Buddha before the 2017 renovation. 2.3. The Moai Alignment The third important nexus of the Takino complex is the row of 42 Moai. Moai are probably one of the most notorious remnants of the Rapa Nui People as well as the most recognizable icon of Easter Island. The standard Moai can be briefly defined as a colossal Land 2025,14, 1124 18 of 32 humanoid figure carved from the ashes of the Rano Raraku crater or any other volcanic material, with an oversized and elongated head composed of simplified and geometric lines [43]. Their bodies are minimalist, with arms resting at the sides or on the stomach. The legs are frequently imperceptible, although they suggest a crouched position (Figure 28). The torso rests on a ceremonial platform called ahu, which cannot be trodden under any circumstances, which replaces the lower limbs of the bodies. This sacred platform has not been respected at Takino cemetery, which could then be considered a sort of mockery of the original figures (Figure 29). The Moai could be detailed at times by a red crown or hat called Pukao and two rounded eyes made of coral or white conch. Figure 28. Ahu Akivi. Easter Island. Source: Author. Figure 29. The row of Moai at Takino cemetery. Source: Author. Although the true meaning of the Moai is still under discussion, we are certain that they were a central piece of Rapa Nui society and are usually linked to the religious life of the islanders, often being understood as a representation of their deities or ancestors [44]. The Rapa Nui disappeared into the ashes of time, but their enigmatic giants can be compared to a variety of religious practices that exhibit similarities in numerous locations of Polynesia, the Lapita area of influence, and East Asia. We can name, in this group, the Tiki idols, the Filipino Anitos, and the Korean Dol Hareubang from Jeju Island, a territory where shamanism is still practiced today. Land 2025,14, 1124 19 of 32 Korean shamanism, also known as Musok (무속/巫俗) or Mukyo (무교/巫敎), has demonstrated unparalleled adaptability and has managed to integrate into contemporary society, crossing boundaries even beyond the Han Republic. The Dol Hareubang (“stone grandfather” in Jeju dialect) became an emblematic figure of the Korean pop culture but is also a valuable part of the Jejuan own identity, a friendly and merry character who can be found on souvenirs shops or bagatelles, but who is also related to ancient beliefs that are still alive [44]. The Dol Hareubang (돌하르방/偶石木) bear substantial similarities to the Moai, al‑ though these are smaller (about the size of an adult or child, but this can vary) and maintain slightly more realistic proportions. The grandfathers are sculpted into the porous basaltic rock of Jeju Island, and their contour and facial features are substantially rounder and car‑ icatured than those of the Moai, with large eyes and a flat, bulbous nose. The headpiece is now integrated into their heads, whose headdress has become a bowler hat, giving them a silhouette oftentimes described as phallic, thus associating the stone idols of Jeju with fertility (Figure 30). Figure 30. Miniature reproduction of the old man or grandfather of Jeju Island. The arms typically rest on the tummy. Some Koreans identify this gesture with abun‑ dance or pregnancy, and it is said that touching the nose of a Dol Hareubang helps women have offspring, being Jeju Island one of the biggest tourist attractions for newlyweds on the peninsula. They feature integrated feet or bases, which were especially useful as they used to rest at thresholds or crossroads as guardian deities, in an analogous manner to which Haechi, protector and mascot of Seoul, did in mainland Korea [45]. The stone grandparents of Jeju Island are deeply connected with the local shamanism and are also referred as Beoksu Meori, “totem head” (벅수머리/法首). According to the Jeju tradition, the Dol Hareubangs serve as receptacles for the spirits, “grandfather” becoming synonymous with “ancestor”. Other analogous characteristics can be observed in antique megalithic sculptures of pre‑Columbian America, such as the Olmec art or more clearly the Colombian stone idols of San Agustin, the “Andean Easter Island” [48]. These discoveries seemed to reinforce earlier theories of pre‑Columbian transoceanic contact, such as those formulated by an‑ thropologist Paul Rivet or Thor Heyerdahl which were later discarded by evidence based on genetic tests [48]. Another archeological site outisde the Pacific where huge stone heads have been identified is the hierothesion of Antiochus I at Nemrut Dağı (Turkey), originally the statues belonged to seated gods but the heads were removed at some point [46], and now they bear a curious resemblance with Atama Daibutsu of Takino as only the head of the Buddha is visible over the hill. Although other authors may consider these coinci‑ Land 2025,14, 1124 20 of 32 dences as superficial or extravagant, the Moai mark the Eastern Edges of the World, some‑ thing by which the Japanese archipelago is commonly identified (land of the rising sun). Theretofore, ancestral spirituality of the Pacific seems to permeate and symbolically con‑ nect, through archeological vestiges, places like Jeju, Easter Island and Takino Cemetery, at least for the imagery of the people. Turning back to the general plan of Takino, the Buddha was situated between two symmetrical mounds, which define an important axis leading directly to the giant statue. The Stonehenge compound is at the end of another axis running parallel to the Buddha’s axis. Whereas the line of the Moai is segmented [52] and does not follow any of the princi‑ pal directions related to the Buddha mound or Stonehenge’s circle. They seem to pass as wraiths encompassing the said landmarks. Apart from the three main elements analyzed, other milestones were considered for the design of Takino cemetery, among them the archaeological ruins of Tiwanaku (Bolivia) and Machu Picchu (Peru), Angkor Thom (Cambodia) and different kinds of pyramids. However, they were deemed unrecognizable or not sufficiently related with funereal cul‑ ture and were consequently discarded [53]. 3. Results The former discussion on the three distinctive elements of Takino funereal park leads us to the situation in which the original design needed significant alterations, and these were mainly performed by a thoughtful intervention of architect Tadao Ando [54]. Ando had designed and constructed several Buddhist temples in the past, especially in the island of Awaji, although he is better known in the West for his projects of christian chapels (Mt. Rokko and Hotel Alpha in Tomamu). It is said that working on the construction or embellishment of a Buddhist temple or shrine may provide atonement for even the gravest sin and in any case it is considered a powerful boon towards indivual afterlife or reincarnation [55]. There are withheld ru‑ mours that due to his advanced age, the architect desired to be granted with these spiritual benefits and so accepted the controversial commission. Unfortunately, these confidential matters remain beyond the sphere of public domain, since personal religion is hardly ever discussed in the media in Japan. Be that as is may, this fact should not dissuade us to per‑ form a thorough description the main intentions of the realized project in what they relate to the core of Japanese culture. The first one could be perhaps something often forgotten but very important for Bud‑ dhism, while it is not directly visual, the power of thurification. Aroma or perfume have in themselves the capacity of converting people to the true faith without being seen, which is why incense it is used consistently at all Buddhist tem‑ ples. But in the sacred literature, we find examples of mountains or hills called incense burner, fragrant or perfumed; this was achieved in the past by the predominat vegetation joined to favourable breezes [56]. Ando pursued the creation of one of such fragrant hills on the selected spot. To that aim, he resorted to lavenders. They are not native to the island of Hokkaido but have be‑ come fashionable after some exports from Provence and given the availability of cultivable land on this region. To ensure a persistent fragance, he employed an artifical plantation of 150,000 laven‑ ders at regular intervals on the hemispherical hollow hill that he was to create to surround the Buddha. When the plants are in full bloom, in this case by the end of June, they give the scent of the typical violet or purple flowers, which is quite unusual especially for the Japanese landscape. This strategy has become a dominant feature of the landmark (Figure 31). Land 2025,14, 1124 21 of 32 Figure 31. Tadao Ando, Hill of the Buddha (2017), with Buddha’s forehead emerging from a field of lavender shrubs. In a second important movement, Ando decides that beholding just the forehead of the Buddha is suitable for the visitors of the cemetery much in the same way as in the for‑ merly described temple of Byodoin; therefore, he would create a kind of truncated dome, open to the sky, like the conical interior of a volcano, from which only the head will emerge. The dome, which encloses the statue had already been used at Seokguram (see above) and other rock‑hewn monasteries in India and Sri Lanka (Figures 32 and 33), but in that case it was mostly devoid of light. Figure 32. Tadao Ando, front view of the hill of the Buddha from the entrance arcosolium. Figure 33. Side view of the new realization with the head protruding. Land 2025,14, 1124 22 of 32 The intervention of Tadao Ando subtly alterates the topography of the site until the body of the statue is no longer visible [57]. Still, the people desirous to pray or pay homage to the Great Buddha have accesended to the this inner massive chamber, which is conical in shape, by an elaborate passageway through the newly created hill. Such corridor is conceived as a half cylindrical tunnel but reinforced with concrete folded plates on the inner vault. The passageway is frontal to the sculpture, which has been rotated and relocated for the new project. However, progression to it is not straighforward because of the hidden mechanisms that the architect has devised (Figure 34). Figure 34. Sectional scheme of the Buddha Hill. In the new project, we arrive to a ceremonial pond, which cuts the main axis and forces the visitor to take a pronounced detour around it, almost a circumambulation. The basin’s surface is concave and prevents water splashes regardless of the wind condition, which can be steady around this area [58]. The floor of the stank is made of black marble and that gives the water a swarthy appearance, which, added to the myriad of ripples that form in the agitated surface, resembles the mythological Styx river, which the deceased were forced to ferry on Charon’s boat in order to disembark on the Hades (Figure 35). Figure 35. Side view of the black pool with aisles and concrete walls. Thus, we are confronted with an eerie entrance to the underworld of the necropolis. A recreation of sorts of Kyoto’s karesansui precincts, in this occasion not through a vital albeit inorganic garden but with a sullen and lifeless courtyard, it is as Hölderlin described in his famous verse [59]: “the Walls stay speechless and cold”. Land 2025,14, 1124 23 of 32 For the device of the oblong basin, it is coupled with a panelled concrete wall of re‑ duced height. Lofty enough to impede the view from the outside while at the same time beckoning the grey sky to a stifled threnody. With the so‑created chicane of the lateral aisles of the pool, which reminds us of the sin‑ uous corridor entrances of Egyptian temples in the ideas of Giedion and Le Corbusier [60], Tadao Ando forces us all but to crouch to regard the dark flow of water, and our gaze in‑ evitably meets the reflection of the obscure cloudy sky on the grey diffuse walls and the liquid surface. We instantly known that we are close to being admitted to the presence of something supernatural. At this point, we could agree with the Italian artist Edoardo Persico, who, praising the racing course at the roof of Fiat Automobile factory of Torino, wrote: “Under the skies and before God only the pond (track) is free” [61]. The extraordinary feature of low‑height dense and opaque walls produces a secluded space, which is present at some Zen gardens and yards throughout Japan, although it is perhaps more clearly represented in the Suimui Utaki Garden Temple, at the entrance of Shurijo Palace in Naha (Okinawa, Rikyu Islands). It is known that when the king of the Rikyus visited a temple or shrine outside the Shurijo, he would open the gates and offer prayers at this diminutive shrine, and the priestesses would perform exquisite ceremonies (Figure 36). The plants within the rare masonry wall are banyan trees and Japanese laurels [62]. Figure 36. The Suimui Utaki garden temple. Shurijo (Okinawa). After traversing the black pool (Figure 37), we get through the vaulted arcosolium (an arch under which interments are performed), a sort of tunnel 40 metres long at the end of which stands the surmised body of the statue, and a whitish marble light shines at the extreme [63]. Nonetheless, only when we enter the chamber that is open to the sky are we allowed to contemplate the long‑sought hallowed face (Figure 38). Finally, we have reached the sacred hall or garbagriha in Sanksrit terms. The space in which the deity manifests and where enlightment should take place for those who keep a pure vision (Figure 39). This huge conical space is somehow otherworldly, to walk around an inclined cone wall of huge dimensions is by no means comfortable but then we realize of the small chapels that surround the great Buddha; in them, different bosatsu (boddhisattva) and arahats (distinguished disciples) are worshipped. It is again a sublimated space in which the physical body must be transformed into a spirit, only at that moment we raise our heads and look to the zenith, from the Arabic word “semt” Land 2025, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 25 of 33 Figure 38. The Great Buddha inside an open conical dome. Finally, we have reached the sacred hall or garbagriha in Sanksrit terms. The space in which the deity manifests and where enlightment should take place for those who keep a pure vision (Figure 39). This huge conical space is somehow otherworldly, to walk around an inclined cone wall of huge dimensions is by no means comfortable but then we realize of the small chapels that surround the great Buddha; in them, different bosatsu (boddhisattva) and arahats (distinguished disciples) are worshipped. It is again a sublimated space in which the physical body must be transformed into a spirit, only at that moment we raise our heads and look to the zenith, from the Arabic word “semt” تْﻣَﺳ, which means the path. Figure 39. Zenithal vision of the conical dome. 4. Discussion Founded on the previous results, the authors can demonstrate a tendency in Buddhist religious architecture, which reveals specific structures colligated to a sort of allpervading cosmic harmony. This pertains to a well-rooted Asian tradition that should be , which means the path. Land 2025,14, 1124 24 of 32 Figure 37. Side cylindrical pavillion at the extreme of the black pool. Figure 38. The Great Buddha inside an open conical dome. Figure 39. Zenithal vision of the conical dome. Land 2025,14, 1124 25 of 32 4. Discussion Founded on the previous results, the authors can demonstrate a tendency in Buddhist religious architecture, which reveals specific structures colligated to a sort of all‑pervading cosmic harmony. This pertains to a well‑rooted Asian tradition that should be increasingly recognizable in the years to come. In the authors’ theory, such designs based on archeology show a clear direction for the recreating spaces of spirituality in Eastern Asia [63]. For instance, as we have just seen in the hill of the Buddha at Takino, in fact a concrete shell, with pleated or folded panes, the protruding head of the Buddha is now oriented to the northwest, exactly the sunrise position of the summer solstice, known in Japanese as Geshi 夏至. In this magnificent roofless structure, Tadao Ando is able to reconcile his main two design paradigms and interests. The first one is the sunlit volume revolving around a cen‑ tre that he exemplifies in the Roman Pantheon (Figure 40). He has frequently pointed out that such space cannot exist in nature, but it is naturalized by the due course of the sun and the seasons. That is the conceptual reason why the Buddha statue cannot be completely covered for instance with a glass dome, let alone technical hindrances, as it would have prevented climatic events from happening. Figure 40. Roman Pantheon. Scheme of proportions that reveals the perfect sphere enclosed by its structure. The second one, reinforcing the first, would be a yearning for total integration with nature and specifically with wind and water, the ingredients that enhance the growth of vegetation and the well‑known fundaments of Feng Shui 風水. For instance, with the plan‑ tation of blossoming violet lavenders, the architect is capable to ensure a distinctive colour in the project for each one of the four seasons in accordance with the Daoist tetralogies, similar to Heidegger’s Geviert (or the Fourfold, earth, sky, mortals, and immortals) [64], for winter it would be the white in the snow, in spring the lush green of the new leaves, fragrant purple flowers of lavender to the summer, and finally red brown for the fall. A thorough cosmic reconstruction of the Universe is performed in this open dome shrine. The philosophical ideas underlying Buddhist order, such as the concept of Garan 伽藍 are sustained. This term originally meant a monastery yard but evolved to signify the harmonic realm created by the Buddha known as Konpon Daitô根本大塔 [64,65] or axis mundi. The secluded space conceived for the Buddha along with his entourage, radiate and resonate in unison as a celestial harp through the land (Figure 41). 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