| Buzan Shinrakuin Hase-dera | |
|---|---|
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shingon-shu Buzan-ha |
| Location | |
| Location | 731-1 Hatsuse, Sakurai, Nara Prefecture |
| Country | Japan |
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| Architecture | |
| Completed | 8th century (727?) |
| Website | |
| http://www.hasedera.or.jp/index.html | |
Hase-dera (長谷寺) is the main temple of theBuzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. The temple is located inSakurai,Nara Prefecture,Japan. The Main Hall is aNational Treasure of Japan.
According to the description on the bronze plaque known as the Hokke Sessō-zu (銅板法華説相図,dōban hokke sessō zu), which is enshrined at Hase-dera,[1] the temple was first built in 686 and dedicated toEmperor Tenmu, who was suffering from a disease. Later, in the year 727, the temple was expanded by order ofEmperor Shōmu and a statue of the eleven-facedKannon was placed near the original temple that enshrined the bronze plaque. The temple has been burned down and rebuilt as many as ten times since the 10th century.
During theHeian period the temple was favored by members of the nobility, such as the authors of theKagerō Nikki and theSarashina Nikki. Hase-dera was consistently popular with visitors, helped by the fact it was situated on what was then the route to theIse Shrine.[2] Later still, Hase-dera flourished as one of the centers of the reformed Shingon Buddhism, particularly after the arrival of priest Sen'yo fromNegoro-ji in 1588.
The current Main Hall is a reconstruction of 1650 built using donations fromTokugawa Iemitsu. A covered wooden staircase (登廊,noborirō), 200 metres long, leads to the Hall from the Niō Gate.[2] The hall is perched on the cliffside, supported by large stilts using thekakezukuri [ja] technique.[3]
The temple is especially popular in the spring, when the 700 Chinese peonies that line the staircase are in bloom,[4][5] and in the fall, when the leaves of the many maple trees in the temple grounds have turned red.[5]
The designatedImportant Cultural Properties at Hase-dera include:
34°32′09″N135°54′25″E / 34.53583°N 135.90694°E /34.53583; 135.90694
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