Taima-dera Temple

An ancient temple said to have originated with Manpōzōin, founded in 612 by Prince Maroko, the younger brother of Prince Shōtoku. It is known as the only temple in Japan where a pair of three-story pagodas in Tenpyo architectural style still stand to the east and west. The Main Hall (Mandala Hall) enshrines the Taima Mandala as its principal image, said to have been woven in a single night by Princess Chūjō, who is associated with the legend of journeying to the Pure Land while still alive.

Within the temple grounds, visitors can see valuable temple buildings and Buddhist statues, including National Treasures such as the Main Hall, the east and west pagodas, and the seated Miroku Buddha statue, as well as many Important Cultural Properties designated by the national government, including the Taima Mandala, the Golden Hall, and the Lecture Hall.

Each sub-temple on the grounds has its own garden, another part of the temple’s appeal, where visitors can enjoy the beauty of the four seasons through seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms and peonies in spring, water lilies in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and sasanqua camellias and senryo in winter. The garden at Nakanobō in particular has long been counted among Yamato’s Three Great Gardens and is designated as both a National Historic Site and a Place of Scenic Beauty.

At Nakanobō, visitors can also try sutra copying based on scriptures said to have been written by Princess Chūjō and shakubutsu, the practice of tracing Buddhist images from the Taima Mandala. At Okuin, there is also a plan that allows visitors to enjoy traditional shojin ryori Buddhist cuisine while viewing a normally closed garden, with advance reservation.