Shariden (Hall of Relics)
Eden (Picture Hall)
The Shariden is a Kamakura period (1185–1333) hall containing a collection of relics of Shakyamuni Buddha. The word “shari” refers to the bones left after the cremation of the Buddha’s body. According to legend, the shari contained in the Shariden sprang from the hands of Prince Shotoku, then aged just two, as he brought his hands together in prayer.
A roofed passage connects the building with the Picture Hall (Eden) next to it. A rare surviving painting on silk, illustrating the life of the prince, which once hung on the walls of the picture hall, is now in the Tokyo National Museum.