In recent years, Tsubosaka-dera’s view of a giant Buddha statue surrounded by cherry blossoms has become a popular photo spot in Nara Prefecture. This spectacular sight, along with Tsubosaka-dera’s other features, makes it worth the trip into the mountains.
Temple History
Photo by: PIXTA/ かぜのたみ Legend says the temple was founded by the monk Benki of Gangoji.
Tsubosaka-dera in Nara Prefecture is located near Mount Yoshino, one of the most popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan. The name “Tsubosaka-dera” means “jar on a hillside temple,” and its origins date back to 703 AD. Legend says the temple was founded by the monk Benki of Gangoji. While he was practicing asceticism on the mountain, he placed his precious crystal jar in a waterfall and carved a statue of the Kannon to worship.
The main object of worship is the eleven-headed, thousand-armed Kannon Bodhisattva, which has the miraculous ability to cure eye diseases. Tsubosakadera is in Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book as one of the writer’s top ten miraculous temples. Additionally, Tsubosaka-dera is the sixth temple on the Saigoku Pilgrimage route of 33 temples.
Connection to India
Photo by: PIXTA/y.uemura These statues were given to the temple from India.
In the 1960s, the temple supported leprosy relief projects for patients in India. Since then, the temple has been involved in other intercultural exchange activities with India, including educational support and regional development programs.
Today, the temple complex has several huge Indian-style Buddhasbas-relief carvings and a Taj-Mahal-style sanctuary, all made from white stone. These statues were given to the temple from India as a sign of gratitude for its service projects in the country. The combination of Japanese and Indian influences, including its most famous view, is a unique feature of the temple.
