Ancient Japanese Washi paper with unique designs found inside 675-year-old Buddhist statue

Recently, a sensational discovery was made at the Myo-in Temple in Fukuyama, Japan. During the restoration of an ancient Buddha statue, recognized by Hiroshima Prefecture as an important cultural heritage, pages of traditional Japanese paper "Washi" dating back to the 14th century were found.

Washi is a paper famous for its strength, translucency, and pleasant texture. It is used in many traditional Japanese arts, such as origami, calligraphy, and engraving. Arkeonews writes about it.

Open artifacts can be divided into three groups:

• Ten sheets of washi measuring 23 by 16 centimeters, connected by a paper string. They depict the Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru, and Ksitigarbha, probably with the help of seals.

• Smaller sheets with Buddhist motifs.
• One sheet with a Buddhist pattern and hieroglyphs.

The researchers were especially interested in the fact that one of the sheets depicts three Buddhas-Shakyamuni, Yakushi Norai (Baisajyaguru), and Jijo Bosatsu (Kshitigarbha)-which is a rare occurrence.

"These three Buddhas symbolize the past, present, and future," explains the museum representative. "We still have a lot of research to do to uncover all the secrets of these artifacts."

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Myo-in Temple was founded in 807 by Kobo Daishi, a famous Buddhist monk and calligrapher. The wooden Buddha statue in the center of the temple dates back to 1348.

Temple officials hope that the discovery will help them better understand the history of the temple and the construction of the pagoda, which was built in 1384.

The combination of traditional art, religious symbolism, and historical significance makes this discovery not only interesting for scholars, but also fascinating for anyone interested in Japanese history and culture.

As a reminder, scientists have named the cause of the death of the ancient Mayan civilization.

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