Hōtoku-ji Temple

Overview

Hōtoku-ji is a temple of the Daitoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen, located in Yagyu-shimomachi, Nara City, Nara Prefecture. Its mountain name is 「Jingosan」, its principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha, and it is also called Hōtoku Zen-ji. Set in the Yagyu district away from central Nara, it is known as a quiet mountain Zen temple. Removed from the bustle, it is a secluded temple of Yamato where visitors can feel the atmosphere of Zen within calm grounds.

Highlights

• ●The calm bearing of a Zen temple in the Daitoku-ji lineage
• ●The quiet hillside setting suggested by the mountain name 「Jingosan」
• ●The Zen atmosphere around its principal image, Shakyamuni Buddha
• ●The stillness unique to the Yagyu hamlet, far from central Nara

History

Hōtoku-ji is a Zen temple belonging to the Daitoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect, bearing the mountain name Jingosan. Its principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha, and it has long been familiar under the name Hōtoku Zen-ji. Situated in the mountain hamlet of Yagyu-shimomachi, it has developed in close connection with local faith. For details of its founding, temple treasures and cultural properties, it is best to consult on-site guidance or official information.

Map

34.7318, 135.9541 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head to the Yagyu hamlet by bus from the Nara Station area
2. 2Visit Jingosan Hōtoku-ji and feel the stillness of the Zen temple
3. 3Take a leisurely walk through the hillside scenery of Yagyu
4. 4Return to central Nara together with nearby sights

Did you know?

💡 The mountain name 「Jingosan」 evokes the temple's setting in hills that seem guarded as a sacred domain. Its principal image is Shakyamuni Buddha, and as a temple of the Daitoku-ji school it stands in the lineage of the celebrated Daitoku-ji of Kyoto. The very place name Yagyu-shimomachi conveys its location in a secluded mountain hamlet of Nara.

Nearby spots