Architectural Design Methods and Form Origins of Japanese Duobao Pagodas

Based on unscrambling of historical records and investigation of existing remains, the evolution process of Japanese Duobao Pagodas and the architectural form and style of remains were sorted out. It was found that in the long-term development and practice, Japanese Duobao Pagodas had been integrated into the "national style culture" with Japanese local characteristics,which formed new construction ideas and plastic arts and created a new architectural form of two stories with a bottom square and a top circle and double eaves—a fixed architectural form with "a white bun-shaped kamebara (turtle belly)". From that clue, the architectural design thinking and method of Japanese Duobao Pagodas were further analyzed. The evolutional context of inherent architectural forms of Japanese Duobao Pagodas was traced back from the introduction and integration of Tantric thoughts, the influence of Chinese architectural forms, and the absorption and creation of localization. It was indicated that the evolution of the fixed form of Japanese Duobao Pagodas profoundly reflected that while absorbing Chinese architectural forms and architectural arts, Japanese monks and craftsmen creatively combined them with their own national culture and gradually formed a wood tower system with Japanese local styles.