The Design of the Square Pond in Asuka

Abstract

In Asuka, Nara Prefecture, the remains of a square pond were excavated from 1971-73. The design of this pond discovered close to the architectual remains of a villa supposed to have been owned by Soga no Umako (?-626AD.), known for his actions to bring empress Suiko on the throne and ruling the country for Shotoku taishi. Soga no Umako had been instrumental in building several Buddhist temples and establishing Buddhism as a major religion. For this reason previous authors tried to explain the square design of the pond with Buddhist sources, for example, the square ponds in Amida Western Paradise. The earliest extant mention of Amida in Japan is dated to 640AD.(Nihonshoki). Depictions of the Western Paradise developed in Japan in Tempyo and Heian Periods (722-). For this reason it seems unlikely that this pond was planned in imitation of the Western Paradise Mandara type painting. Buddhism having been transmitted via Korea from China, other than Buddhist elements might have found their way to Japan at the same time or even earlier. This applies to philosophical or religious thought as well as objects, for example, mirrors with Taoist design as they were buried in Kofun as early as the Kofun Period (3rd-7th ct.). Taoist landscape principles have nothing in common with this square pond. A re-creation of nature would have been more appropriate in this context. The Kofun and their architecture suggest inspiration by Chinese architectual elements and use of Chinese tools as well. Therefore, I try to establish a connection between the square pond and Kofun built during the same period, and then, a connection to the Chinese architectual principles of Heaven (depicted as a circle) and Earth (square). The earliest examples for this are reconstructions of the Han Dynasty Ming T'ang, the latest extant on the Altar of Heaven in Peking.