This article explores the pictorial representation of the Buddhist hell in Kamakura (1185–1333) Japan, with a focus on a mid-thirteenth century rokudō-e, or Pictures of the Six Realms, preserved at Shōjuraigōji Temple. The examination revolves around how these scroll paintings convey messages of salvation by representing the symbolic architecture of the hell realm, the lowest level within the six realms. By scrutinizing the visual representation of hell landscapes in four hell scrolls in the Shōjuraigōji set, the study unveils the architectural symbolism of boundaries and pathways. A visual analysis of two hell-tearing narrative scrolls further reveals that the key iconography involves the destruction of the architectural symbols of hell. Through tracing the concurrent processes of constructing and destroying the imaginary space of hell, the study demonstrates that the conceptual and visual construction of hell is coupled with an equally pronounced intent for hell-tearing. Lastly, based on the visuality of the hell-escaping narratives, the medium of hanging scrolls, and the centrality of an Enma scroll within the Shōjuraigōji set, the author proposes a spatial arrangement of this set of fifteen scrolls that could systematically convey the visual massage of “escaping from suffering in the six courses”.

中文翻译：

---

逃离禁闭：圣寿来寺六绘卷轴中的地狱意象


本文探讨了日本镰仓（1185-1333 年）佛教地狱的绘画表现，重点关注圣寿来宫寺保存的十三世纪中叶的六道绘（六界图）。审查围绕这些卷轴画如何通过代表六界中最低层的地狱界的象征建筑来传达救赎的信息。通过仔细研究圣寿来宫寺中四幅地狱卷轴中地狱景观的视觉表现，该研究揭示了边界和路径的建筑象征意义。对两幅地狱撕裂的叙事卷轴的视觉分析进一步揭示，关键的图像涉及对地狱建筑符号的破坏。通过追踪构建和破坏地狱想象空间的并发过程，该研究表明，地狱的概念和视觉构建与同样明显的撕裂地狱的意图相结合。最后，基于逃狱叙事的视觉性、挂轴的媒介以及在正寿来宫寺中的阎魔卷的中心地位，作者提出了这套十五卷的空间安排，可以系统地传达视觉按摩“六道离苦”。