# Taima-dera

> A temple at the foot of Mount Nijo in Katsuragi, and the only one in Japan where both of its ancient three-storey pagodas still stand, one east and one west. The main hall keeps the Taima Mandala, a picture of the Pure Land tied to the legend of Princess Chujo. It is a 15-minute walk from a small Kintetsu station, and in late April and early May the peonies in the sub-temple gardens bring the crowds.

- Prefecture: Nara
- Type: Temple
- Address: Katsuragi, Nara, Japan
- Admission: 1000 yen
- Official site: https://www.taimadera.org/

Most old temples in Japan lost their pagodas to fire long ago, or kept only one. Taima-dera still has two, standing on either side of the precinct, and that alone is reason enough to make the trip. The east pagoda dates from the Nara period and is the oldest building left at the temple; the west one followed in the early Heian period. Both are three storeys, about 24 and 25 metres tall, and both are National Treasures. The best views are from the sub-temple gardens: Naka-no-bo's Kogu-en garden uses the east pagoda as borrowed scenery.

The temple began as a monastery founded by Prince Maroko, a brother of Prince Shotoku, and moved here from Kawachi in the late 7th century. The main hall holds the Taima Mandala, the Pure Land scene that legend says Princess Chujo wove from lotus thread in the 8th century. Know before you go: what hangs in the huge lacquered cabinet is a later copy. The woven original survives only in damaged fragments and is rarely shown. For me the Kondo next door is the reason to pay the fee anyway. Its seated clay Miroku is the oldest clay statue in Japan, and three of the four guardian kings around it are the oldest dry-lacquer statues in the country.

The grounds are free to walk from 9:00 to 17:00. The Mandala Hall, Kondo and Lecture Hall share one ticket of 1,000 yen, and Naka-no-bo, the oldest of the monks' quarters, charges 500 yen for its garden and treasure hall, with matcha for another 500 yen. The bell by the Nio gate was cast in the 680s and is said to be the oldest in Japan.

Peony season, late April to early May, is when the place fills up; Naka-no-bo alone has about 1,200 plants. On 14 April the Nerikuyo procession re-enacts Princess Chujo being welcomed into the Pure Land, starting at 16:00. The rest of the year Taima-dera is quiet, and there is little English on the signs.

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to visit Taima-dera?

Walking the grounds is free from 9:00 to 17:00. The three main halls (Mandala Hall, Kondo and Lecture Hall) share a 1,000 yen ticket sold at the Mandala Hall. Naka-no-bo is a separate 500 yen and rises to 1,000 yen from 13 to 30 November 2026. Sainan-in, Oku-no-in and Gonen-in also open their gardens and charge their own fees.

### Is the mandala in the main hall the original?

No. The cabinet in the Mandala Hall holds a later full-size copy. The 8th-century woven original, a National Treasure, survives only in badly damaged form and is kept out of view almost all the time.

### When do the peonies bloom?

Usually from late April to early May. There are about 5,000 plants across the temple's sub-temples, about 1,200 of them at Naka-no-bo, followed by herbaceous peonies. Weekends in this period get crowded.

### When is the Nerikuyo procession?

On 14 April, from 16:00. It used to be held on 14 May but moved to 14 April, the day of Princess Chujo's death. Expect crowds and stalls along the approach.

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Source: Taima-dera — Japan Voyage