Hyakumanto darani

• Printed: 770
• Japanese: 百万塔陀羅尼 (Hyaku-man-tou darani)

The Hyakumantô darani are a series of one million miniature wooden pagodas and the one million copper-plate printed dhâranî (Buddhist charms) slips of paper contained within. They represent the oldest extant printed matter anywhere in the world.

The one million miniature pagodas and corresponding charms were commissioned by Empress Kôken in the year 764; production was completed in 770. The pagodas are each three stories tall in design; roughly 8.5 inches (21.5 cm) in height. They each contain a rolled-up strip of paper, copper-plate printed with one of four dhâranî charms in classical Chinese.

The pagodas were distributed to the top ten Buddhist temples of the time, namely Daianji, Genkôji, Kôfukuji, Yakushiji, Tôdaiji, Sadaiji, Hôryuji, Kôfukuji (Yamashiro province), Shitennôji, and Sûfukuji. Today, only Hôryuji still holds its collection of pagodas, all the others at other temples having been lost or destroyed; a number of these can be found today in libraries, museums, and other collections around the world.

References

• Kawase, Kazuma. "An Introduction to the History of Pre-Meiji Publishing: History of Wood-block Printing in Japan." Tokyo: Yushodo Booksellers, 1973.
• "One Million Small Wooden Pagodas and Dharani Prayers." World Digital Library. 7 May 2009. Accessed 2 February 2010.
• "Stupas known as the Hyakuman To." British Museum. Accessed 2 February 2010.