three ordination platforms ［三戒壇］ ( san-kaidan): Ordination platforms established at three places in Japan to confer the Buddhist precepts. They were situated at Tōdai-ji temple in Nara, then Japan’s capital, Yakushi-ji temple in Shimotsuke Province to the east of Nara, and Kanzeon-ji temple in Chikuzen Province to the west. The ordination platform at Tōdai-ji was established in 754, and those at Yakushi-ji and Kanzeon-ji in 761. For the ordination of priests, Japan was divided into three districts, and the ordination platforms at the three temples were used as the center for each district. See also ordination platform.