Tachibana-dera Temple

Overview

Tachibana-dera is a Tendai-sect Buddhist temple in the village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture, formally known as Butsuzan Jogu Koin Bodaiji. Closely tied to Prince Shotoku, it is counted among the seven great temples said to have been founded by him. Set amid the quiet rice fields of the Asuka basin, its precincts are protected as a National Historic Site and preserve the memory of ancient Japan.

Highlights

• ●The principal image, a statue of Prince Shotoku expounding the Shrimala Sutra
• ●The Nimenseki, a stone said to carve both the good and evil of the heart
• ●The Kannon Hall, tenth station of the New Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage
• ●Precincts designated a National Historic Site amid the Asuka fields

History

The temple's name, Tachibana, is said to come from a legend that Tajimamori, sent by Emperor Suinin to the mythical land of Tokoyo in search of the fruit of immortality, brought back a tachibana citrus and planted it here. Deeply connected to Prince Shotoku, the temple enshrines a statue of the prince as its principal image. Its grounds were designated a National Historic Site in 1966, and it has long drawn pilgrims as a site associated with Prince Shotoku and as a station on the New Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

Map

34.4700, 135.8181 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Enter through the quiet gate and take in the Asuka landscape
2. 2Pay respects before the statue of Prince Shotoku in the main hall
3. 3Seek out the Nimenseki and reflect on its tale of good and evil
4. 4Visit the Kannon Hall, then walk on to the nearby Asuka historic sites

Did you know?

💡 Within the grounds stands the Nimenseki, a stone carved with two faces said to represent the good and evil in the human heart. The Kannon Hall is the tenth station of the New Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, with a Nyoirin Kannon as its image.

Nearby spots