# Tachibana-dera

> A Tendai temple on the spot where, by tradition, Prince Shotoku was born. The Asuka-period temple is gone; what survives in the grounds is the foundation stone of a pagoda burned by lightning in 1148 and the Nimen-seki, a stone carved with two faces. The main hall dates from the 1860s. The grounds are the Tachibana-dera Ruins, one of the 19 parts of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara World Heritage property. Entry 500 yen, 9:00 to 17:00.

- Prefecture: Nara
- Type: Temple
- Address: Asuka, Nara, Japan
- Opening hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00
- Hours note: Last entry 16:30.
- Admission: 500 yen
- Official site: https://asukamura.com/sightseeing/tachibana-dera/

Tachibana-dera stands among the fields of Asuka, and its whole identity rests on a birth. Tradition holds that Prince Shotoku was born here in the late 6th century, on land that held a detached palace of his grandfather, Emperor Kinmei, and that the prince later turned it into a temple. Nobody can prove that, and you do not need to believe it to enjoy the visit. The temple's name comes from another legend, about tachibana citrus that Tajimamori brought back for Emperor Suinin.

What is solid is underground. Excavations from 1953 found an Asuka-period temple facing east, with its middle gate, pagoda, golden hall and lecture hall in a line. Most of it is gone. The thing to look for is the pagoda's foundation stone, a broad slab with a socket for the central pillar and extra notches on three sides, an unusual design; the five-storey pagoda that stood on it burned after a lightning strike in 1148. Not far off stands the Nimen-seki, a rock about a metre high carved with a face on each side, one calm and one stern. The temple reads them as the good and bad sides of the human heart. Nobody knows what it was really made for, which is half the fun.

The present main hall, the Taishi-den, was rebuilt over about 30 years from 1864 and holds a seated wooden statue of the prince at the age of 35, made in 1515 and listed as an Important Cultural Property. The Kannon hall has a six-armed Nyoirin Kannon from the Heian period, also an Important Cultural Property. Look up in the Ojoin hall, rebuilt in 1997: its coffered ceiling is filled with about 260 painted flowers.

The temple grounds are a national Historic Site and, as the Tachibana-dera Ruins, one of the 19 parts of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, inscribed in July 2026. The fee went up to 500 yen in April 2026, a lot for a small temple, and there is little English. Allow 30 to 40 minutes. The Kawahara-dera Ruins, another of the 19, are just across the road to the north, and Ishibutai Kofun is a short ride east.

## FAQ

### Was Prince Shotoku really born at Tachibana-dera?

That is the temple's tradition, and it cannot be proved. The story says the site held a detached palace of Emperor Kinmei, the prince's grandfather, where he was born and which he later made into a temple. What excavation has confirmed is an Asuka-period temple on the site, with its buildings in a line facing east.

### Is the temple itself part of the World Heritage property?

The listed part is the Tachibana-dera Ruins, the remains of the Asuka-period temple. They lie within the present grounds, which are a national Historic Site, so walking round the temple you are inside one of the 19 parts of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. The current buildings are much later, from 1864 onwards.

### How much does it cost, and when is it open?

Adults and university students pay 500 yen since 1 April 2026; older guides list 350 or 400 yen. Junior high and high school students pay 300 yen and primary school children 200 yen. It is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:30.

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Source: Tachibana-dera — Japan Voyage