# Negoro-ji

> Head temple of the Shingi Shingon school in the hills of Iwade, northern Wakayama. Its Daito, finished in 1547 and spared when Toyotomi Hideyoshi burned the temple in 1585, is Japan's largest wooden great pagoda and a National Treasure you can step inside. Entry is 500 yen, and it is about 30 minutes by car from Kansai Airport.

- Prefecture: Wakayama
- Type: Temple
- Address: Iwade, Wakayama, Japan
- Hours note: April to October 9:10 to 16:30; November to March 9:10 to 16:00. In late October the Daishido, Daito and Daidenpodo are often used for ceremonies and may be closed to visitors.
- Admission: 500 yen
- Official site: https://www.negoroji.org/

In the 1500s Negoro-ji was a town of monks, with about 270 temples by the late Muromachi period, and strong enough that Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked it in 1585 and burned it to the ground. Two buildings came through. The Daito, a two-storey pagoda 37 m high and 15 m across finished in 1547, is the largest wooden great pagoda in Japan and a National Treasure, and the temple says it is the only National Treasure pagoda of this kind you can walk into and pray inside. The Daishido, the hall of Kobo Daishi, from around 1391, also survived. The main hall, the Daidenpodo, went up in the 1820s and was made an Important Cultural Property in 2019. The temple goes back to Kakuban, a scholar-monk of Koyasan who founded a hall there in 1132 and later moved down to Negoro; he is buried in the Okunoin at the back. The grounds cover about 3.5 square kilometres, so the temple's own route map has a short course of about an hour and a full one of about two. Below the bridge, the Momiji-dani valley turns red in autumn, and behind the head priest's quarters there is an Edo-period garden of ponds and a waterfall. One warning for autumn visitors: in late October the three main halls are often closed for rituals.

## FAQ

### How much is entry, and when is Negoro-ji open?

500 yen for adults (junior high school age and up), free for younger children and for holders of a disability certificate. It is open 9:10 to 16:30 from April to October and 9:10 to 16:00 from November to March.

### Can you really go inside the Daito pagoda?

Yes. The temple says it is the only National Treasure great pagoda that visitors can enter to pray, and it is included in the entry fee. In late October it may be closed for ceremonies.

### How long should I allow?

The temple's route map has a shorter course of about one hour and a full course of about two hours, which takes in Kakuban's tomb in the Okunoin and the garden.

### Can I get there without a car?

Yes, but plan around the bus. The Iwade city loop bus from JR Iwade Station takes about 20 minutes and runs only about six times a day for 150 yen, so check the timetable on the temple's access page first.

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Source: Negoro-ji — Japan Voyage