yugitō 瑜祇塔

Lit. "jewel, prayer, pagoda."
Also called gohō hatchū 五峯八柱, lit. "five peaks, eight pillars." A circular pagoda with a pyramidal roof *hōgyō-zukuri 宝形造. It is very similar to an ordinary pagoda called *hōtō 宝塔, but the number of finials *sōrin 相輪 differs. The yugitō has one placed on each corner of the roof in addition to the one at the apex of the roof. The origin of this type of pagoda is believed to be derived from the Yugi sutra, Yugikyō 瑜祇経, which refers to an individual who practices yoga 瑜伽. According to tradition, *Kūkai 空海 (774-835) of the Shingon 真言 sect, brought this pagoda to Japan from China. However, it wasn't until 870 that such a pagoda, based on a drawing by Kūkai, was built on the grounds of a temple called Ryōkōin 竜光院. It was destroyed again and again by fire, but one yugitō remains at Mt. Kōya 高野 in Wakayama Prefecture. It has lost its circular form, because of the construction of an extra aisle in 1931 on the top story, giving it the appearance of a *tahōtō 多宝塔. The only exceptions are the sōrin at each corner and the vertex of the roof. The sōrin is in this case is placed on the peak of the roof and at the corners. The sōrin at the peak of the roof has a ring of lotus petals added between its five rings with cup and ball at the very top. One other yugitō in miniature is held in the hand of *Tamonten 多聞天 (Sk; Vaisravana), one of the four Buddhist guardian statues in Hōryūji *Kondō 法隆寺金堂 (rebuilt 693), Nara. Some scholars believe this to be the original form of yugitō.