Hase-dera

Kansai


The most notable feature of Hase-dera, a Shingon temple founded in the 8th century, is its 11th-century, 399-step noborirō (climbing corridor); it measures 108 ken (an old Japanese unit of length), believed to correspond to the number of earthly desires (which fade with each step). At the top, the main hall, perched at the edge of a cliff, enshrines a large wooden statue of Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy) carved in 1538; there are fantastic views from the hall's terrace.

The temple grounds are quite large and there's almost always something in bloom here – the reason Hase-dera is nicknamed hana no mitera (flower-viewing temple).

Hase-dera Station is two stops east of Sakurai on the Kintetsu Osaka line (¥210, six minutes). It's about a 20-minute walk to the temple; walk through the archway and down several flights of steps, then turn left, cross the river, and turn right onto the main street towards the temple.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kansai attractions

1. Ōmiwa-jinja

3.16 MILES

Ōmiwa-jinja is thought to be one of Japan's oldest Shintō shrines. It was built to worship Mt Miwa behind it and is rare in that it has no honden (main…

2. Tanzan-jinja

5.42 MILES

This remote mountain shrine originated as a mausoleum for Fujiwara Kamatari (614–69), the patriarch of the Fujiwara clan that would rule court politics…

3. Asuka-dera

6.33 MILES

Considered the first Buddhist temple in Japan (founded 596), Asuka-dera houses Japan's oldest existing Buddhist statue, the Asuka Daibutsu (Great Buddha),…

4. Ishibutai-kofun

6.6 MILES

Though other kofun remain covered in earth, Japan's largest stone burial chamber is laid bare and you can walk inside. The tomb was looted centuries ago,…

6. Murō-ji

7.6 MILES

Secluded in thick forest, this Shingon temple was founded in the 9th century. It's nicknamed 'Women's Kōya-san' because, unlike the more famous centre of…

7. Takamatsuzuka-kofun

7.63 MILES

This kofun was discovered by accident in the 1960s, painstakingly excavated in the 1970s and then sealed for preservation. What you'll see is a grassy…

8. Kashihara-jingū

7.71 MILES

This shrine was built in 1889 on the site where it was proposed that Japan's mythical first emperor, Jimmu, ascended to the throne. Its founding was part…