kidan 基壇

A class of platform or podium specially associated with Buddhist temple buildings dating from the 7th-12th century. It was first introduced from the *Kudara 百済 (Korean: Paekche) kingdom when Buddhism and its architects came to Japan (mid-6th century) along with many other craftsmen. Stone podia were made primarily for temple buildings until the late 12th century. A new type of podium, made of a plaster covered mound *kamebara 亀腹 under a building that was surrounded by a veranda, gradually replaced the stone podia for temple buildings from the early Heian period. The earliest extant example is Ichijōji *Sanjū-no-tō 一乗寺三重塔 (1171) in Hyōgo Prefecture. Stone podia are also called *danjōzumi 壇上積 and can be divided into two basic types: danjōzumi ichijū kidan 壇上積一重基壇 and danjōzumi nijū kidan 壇上積二重基壇. The former has one level while the latter has two. The upper platform is called *jōsei kidan 上成基壇, and the lower one is called kasei kidan 下成基壇. Both have one flight of steps dan-ishi 段石 at the center of each side. The sloping borders along the steps are called *mimi-ishi 耳石. The construction site for such podia was prepared with mounds of rubble and several layers of clay piled up to the desired height. Rough stone, or more rarely granite, was used to contain the mound. The site also included ground sills *jifuku-ishi 地覆石 that surrounded the mound. Stone posts *tsuka-ishi 束石 were erected and stone panels *hame-ishi 羽目石 were set between. The top surface was finished with square stones or tiles, or rectangular tiles *shihanjiki 四半敷 that became the floor of the temple building. Finally, border or curb stones *katsura-ishi 葛石 covered the edges where the vertical frame and the flooring met. Proto-modern flooring stones were usually set parallel to the length of the building, but by the end of the 12th century, they were more frequently diamond shaped *nunojiki 布敷 or hexagonal. The podium resembles a Buddhist altar *shumidan 須弥壇.