Oka-dera (Ryûgaiji)

Oka-dera is a temple founded in the 7th century in the foothills of southern Nara. This temple is one of many temples originally founded in the Asuka Period, the first period in Japan where the government adopted Chinese philosophy, religion, and standards. The name “Ryûgai,” meaning “Dragon Lid” is from a story saying that the first head monk of the temple defeated a dragon terrorizing the temple and trapped it in a pond on the grounds. The monk used a large stone as a lid to keep the dragon trapped within. The dragon repented and agreed to protect the temple and grant good luck to its visitors. It’s said that the rock will begin to shake in anticipation of rainfall.

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 7.

Oka-dera is a really great temple in a very lovely section of southern Nara Prefecture. With ancient earthen tombs just around the corner, a variety of temples and shrines only a short walk away, and the city of Kashihara a brief drive down the road, Oka-dera is both easy to access but equally free of large crowds.

The temple has only a handfull of buildings in the complex: a main gate, a main hall for worship, and a pagoda on the hill above. Yet despite that, the colors of the wood, the smell of incense, the seasonal flowers and changing leaves create a beautiful tapestry to enjoy regardless of season. It’s not a flashy temple and it can’t hold a candle to the temples of northern Nara or Kyoto, but if you’re looking for a day of temple hopping in the first capital, then I can’t think of many other places to just walk (or bike) and enjoy everything there is to see.

 

Nyoirinji

Hidden in the woods of Yoshino in southern Nara Prefecture is a quiet temple with a storied past. Originally founded in the 10th century, the temple gained siginificant notoriety in the 14th century when Emperor Go-Daigo moved his imperial court from the north (Heian-kyô/Kyoto) to the south in Yoshino. The emperor was recently ousted from the capital by the very warriors he had worked with to overthrow the warrior government of the time, the Kamakura bakufu. He and his allies formed a new court in Yoshino to combat the usurpers, but the emperor passed only two years later and his supporters were removed or eliminated soon after. Emperor Go-Daigo and his wife are buried within small earthen tombs on the slopes just above the temple grounds.

For the casual: 2. For the educated: 6.

To be honest, there isn’t much of a reason to visit this temple. There’s nothing particularly outstanding to see and it’s a long travel for those with no more than a vague interest. There are two scenarios where I believe someone could have more of a reason to visit: first as scholars or those interested in Japanese history, and second as a casual visitor in spring.

For a more educated visitor, the temple is of course home to an emperor’s tomb, and it’s the tomb of a particularly prominant emperor in a long long line of puppet emperors. This guy was actually able to take back his political power even if for only a few years. I mean, no one else was ever able to do that until Emperor Meiji in 1868. But more than that, the temple is home to a treasure hall with items of note belonging to the emperor and his loyal retainers. There are pieces from Kusunoki Masashige (See my post on Minatogawa Jinja), armor sets, paintings, and even the names of loyal retainers carved into the temple door.

Visitors to Japan in spring, particularly in late March-early April, are treated to the entire nation turning to pink with the annual wash of cherry blossoms. There are many brilliant places across the country to see these famous blossoms, but the slopes of Yoshino are literally COVERED in cherry trees. Every spring the entire mountainside turns pink, and the temple grounds are no exception. If you enjoy the annual blooms, then Nyoirinji is a pretty nice spot to pull over and enjoy the flutter of petals through the air.

Emperor Go-Daigo’s mausoleum.

 

Asuka-dera (Hôkôji)

Hidden in a cluster of buildings on the south side of Nara Prefecture is Asuka-dera, a temple founded in the late 7th century and named after both the community and the time period. The temple was built by the Soga clan, one of the most powerful of the time. In the Asuka Period, the temple was a massive complex with a pagoda, lecture halls to the east and west, and smaller halls within the walls for sutra study and copying, farming, and living quarters. Asuka-dera would remain a premier temple until the government moved north to modern Nara. From then on the temple grounds gradually shrank from fires and disrepair, but the main hall and the buddha inside have never changed locations.

For the casual: 4. For the educated: 6.

It’s not every day that you get to come across a location like Asuka-dera. Most of us would likely drive right by if we saw it, assuming that it’s just one of any number of local temples that proliferate every corner of Japanese society. There are no towers, grand halls, or sprawling parking lots. The only access road always has at least one car, not because it’s busy, but because it’s so narrow. To all the world, there is nothing of import here, save for those who know. The first hint is in the name: Asuka. Not only is this the name of the community, but also the time; about 1400 years ago or so. And after all that time, this one hall has not moved an inch. It has stood in one form or another in this singular location for all that time. When Charlemagnes ruled the Franks, this temple was already one hundred years old. Just think on that for a moment. But how do we know how old it is? Because the buddha inside is the oldest dated buddha in Japan with an inscription dating it to 609 C.E. It’s quite battered but standing at 3 meters tall, it is still a fairly imposing figure. The rigid seated posture and corkscrew hair indicates that the statue was cast in accordance with Chinese style and design; very understandable considering buddhism had just arrived from China.

 

Suzumushi-dera

Suzumushi-dera, or Kegonji as it is officially named, is a temple nestled into the woods south of Arashiyama in western Kyoto. While I’m sure many would have heard of Arashiyama before, I doubt many people would be familiar with this temple. The temple receives its moniker Suzumushi-dera for the populations of bell crickets it breeds and raises all year round for their popular chirping.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 2.

So let’s start with some basics. This is not a temple founded by a special person, for a special reason, or home to special artifacts. If that’s what you’re looking for then you want the other temple just up the road which can only be visited after making a reservation via postcard. This temple is really great for casual visitors because it doesn’t require any extra information to thoroughly enjoy.

Founded in the 18th century, Kegonji was a humble local temple in western Kyoto, but a few decades ago the chief grounds keeper, a fan of the sounds of crickets, would rest after a long day of work by enjoying the warm summer nights and listening to them chirping. Believing that crickets embodied many of the ideals of buddhist principles, he began raising a population of crickets in the temple. After years of breeding and research, the temple is home to several thousand bell crickets, suzumushi in Japanese, that chirp throughout the year instead of their typical brief presence in autumn. Visitors to the temple are welcomed indoors in groups every hour to enjoy tea and a 30 minute sermon led by one of the monks who explains not only the crickets chirping away in their boxes at the front of the room, but also how the guests can incorporate more mindfulness in their every day lives. When it’s over, the guests leave through the garden. Be sure to say a prayer at the Jizo statue out front. This statue is unique because he is wearing sandals, a small detail that implies that Jizo will personally deliver your prayer to you.