Hōrin-ji Temple

Overview

Hōrin-ji, also affectionately known as Mii-dera, is a Buddhist temple of the Shōtoku-shū sect standing quietly in the Mii neighborhood of Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture. Its full name is Myōken-san Hōrin-ji and its principal image is Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing. Counted alongside Hōryū-ji and Hōki-ji as one of the “three pagodas of Ikaruga,” its three-story pagoda rising above the surrounding rice fields is an emblem of this ancient landscape. Located about a kilometer north of the East Precinct of the World Heritage Hōryū-ji, it offers a calmer, more contemplative atmosphere than its famous neighbor.

Highlights

• ●The graceful three-story pagoda, rebuilt in 1975, above the Ikaruga rice fields
• ●The principal Yakushi Nyorai statue and a Kokūzō Bosatsu image from the late Asuka period
• ●The surviving Shōtoku-linked well that gave the temple its name (National Historic Site)
• ●Its standing as one of the three pagodas of Ikaruga beside Hōryū-ji and Hōki-ji

History

Because few historical records concerning the temple survive, the details of its founding remain unclear, yet excavations confirm that it already existed by the mid-7th century. Its principal Yakushi Nyorai statue and a Kokūzō Bosatsu image date to the late Asuka period, attesting to the temple's antiquity. The alternative name “Mii-dera” derives from the local place name Mii and from three wells said to be connected to Prince Shōtoku; one of these wells survives today and is designated a National Historic Site. The original pagoda was lost to a lightning fire, and the present three-story pagoda was rebuilt in 1975, which is why it is not included in the World Heritage “Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area.”

Map

34.6224, 135.7388 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Enter the Ikaruga countryside from Hōryū-ji Station and first tour World Heritage Hōryū-ji
2. 2Walk north to Hōrin-ji to see the pagoda and its ancient Buddhist images
3. 3Continue to nearby Hōki-ji to compare all three Ikaruga pagodas
4. 4Stroll the field paths back to the station to round off the Ikaruga walk

Did you know?

💡 Of the three wells linked to Prince Shōtoku that gave the temple its “Mii-dera” name, one still remains and is a designated National Historic Site. Together with Hōryū-ji and Hōki-ji, its pagoda forms the “three pagodas of Ikaruga,” and the view of these towers rising over the fields is regarded as one of the signature sights of the district.

Nearby spots