Photo= Full view of the Phoenix Hall at Byodo-in Temple

The repair of the tail corridor behind the "Ho-o-do," or Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple, a World Heritage Site located in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, was completed on September 8, finalizing the Heisei Era major repairs which took two years. All the construction covering was removed to reveal the whole view of the temple complex, which reportedly represents a landed phoenix with outstretched wings.

The Phoenix Hall consists of the central hall enshrining the principal image, the wing corridors on the left and right sides, and the tail corridor on the rear. Just as in the central hall, the bell-shaped windows and pillars at the tail corridor were repainted with cinnabar, which is believed to be used at the time of the Phoenix Hall's founding in 1053. The roof was dressed with soft colored tiles to enhance its timeworn elegance.

These were the first repairs in 56 years. Begun in September 2012, the repairs in the central hall and the wing corridors were completed first. The golden color of the pair of phoenixes on the central hall's roof was restored to reproduce the gorgeous atmosphere of the Heian Period, which embodies the Buddhist Pure Land. While the inside has been reopened to the public since last April after an approximately one-and-half-year closing, only the tail corridor, where visitors could not enter, remained under repair.

Minor adjustments and landscaping will continue for the rest of this month. The completion ceremony will be held on October 1. Staff of Byodo-in Temple said, "One can enjoy the original beauty when the central hall, wing and corridors and tail corridors are all complete."