The results of a new study prove that the five-story pagoda at Horyuji Temple was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 670, according to officials at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
While the temple, located in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is thought to have been built originally in 607, the timbers' yearly growth rings show that the pagoda, which is a national treasure, was built later than 663, officials at the Nara-based institute revealed last week.
The issue of whether the temple, founded by Prince Shotoku, a statesman in the late sixth century and early seventh century, has retained its original form or was rebuilt after the 670 fire has been a focus of academic debate since the Meiji Era (1868-1912).