Nara, Five-Storied Tower of Kofukuji Temple (Japan)
As we make our way through listing Japanese temples, we realise they are all important and distinctive in unique ways — except for one: they all seem to have burned down at one time or another. Kōfuku-ji was established in 669 by Kagami-no-Ōkimi (鏡大君), wishing for her husband’s recovery from illness. Its original site was in Yamashina (present-day Kyoto). In 672, the temple was moved to Fujiwara-kyō, the first planned Japanese capital, then in 710, it was dismantled for the second time and moved to its present location, on the east side of the newly constructed capital, Heijō-kyō, today’s Nara. The temple was damaged and destroyed by civil wars and fires many times and was rebuilt as many times as well, although finally some buildings were never reconstructed and are missing today. The rebuilding of the Central Golden Hall was completed in 2018. Now, for the postcard: old, B&W, unused, and Grade: 1