[Tsubosaka Temple] (Takatori Town, Nara Prefecture, former province name: Yamato)

Among the sacred places scattered in the central and southern part of Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture), Tsubosaka-dera (official name: Nanhokke-ji Temple) is one of the shrines and temples that have been revered as particularly miraculous in ancient times. Its location is recognized as being exactly in the center of the province, and it served as a junction between the open plains of Heijo-kyo and Fujiwara-kyo, and the "mountainous region" of Yoshino and Omine, with its steep mountain ridges. Although the origins of its founding are unclear, it had a high status as a temple of prayer for Emperor Gensho (680-748) during the Nara period. These connections also gave the temple deep ties with nobles, and in the Heian period, even the powerful Fujiwara no Michinaga (966-1028) came to worship at the temple. The temple's influence grew even more when it was designated as the sixth temple of the Thirty-Three Pilgrimage Sites of the Western Provinces. The temple is built into the mountainside of Mount Tsubosaka, and it is said that at its peak there were over 60 buildings lined up on the entire mountain. In addition to the aforementioned historical history and temple status, the background to this prosperity was the protection of the Ochi clan, lords of Takatori Castle who ruled the area in the Middle Ages. The Ochi clan was a powerful clan that ruled the central and southern parts of Yamato Province for generations, and played an active role as a powerful military commander on the side of the Southern Court during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. The Southern Court, based in Yoshino and its surrounding areas, relied on the ruggedness of the mountains and rivers to oppose the Northern Court, but the Ochi clan was at the forefront, so to speak, and was a key figure in interpreting the delicate balance of power at the time. The Ochi clan later surrendered to the Northern Court, but throughout the Muromachi period they maintained the greatest influence in the southern part of Yamato Province and were often the source of conflict in the Kinai region. The Ochi clan built Takatori Castle as a base for controlling their territory, and Tsubosaka-dera Temple, located at one corner of the entrance to the castle, also played an important role in defense. If you look at a map when visiting Tsubosaka-dera today, it is clear that Tsubosaka-dera Temple beautifully supports the framework of the fortified Takatori Castle, and it can be seen that the castle and the temple were truly a "community of shared destiny." In fact, Tsubosaka-dera Temple was often burned down in battles over Takatori Castle, and very few cultural artifacts from that time remain. Meanwhile, an essential part of the unique character of Tsubosaka-dera Temple are the miraculous tales related to the eyes. A shamisen player named Sawaichi, who was struggling to make ends meet due to his eye problems, had a wife named O-Sato, but every night O-Sato would sneak out of the house without telling Sawaichi. Suspicious of this, Sawaichi confronts her, and O-Sato confesses that she had been praying to the Kannon Bodhisattva, the principal image of Tsubosaka-dera Temple, every day for three years, for Sawaichi's illness to get better. Sawaichi, deeply ashamed of his own suspicions, repents and begins to frequent Tsubosaka-dera Temple with O-Sato, but eventually becomes worried that his presence will damage O-Sato's future, and throws himself off the cliffs of Mount Tsubosaka, taking his own life. When O-Sato finds out about this, she is heartbroken and finally follows Sawaichi. However, that day happened to be the day when Osato's prayer to the Kannon Bodhisattva was to be fulfilled, so the Kannon Bodhisattva took pity on them and revived them, and Sawaichi's eyes were also opened. This story of tragic love and miracles became a huge hit in the Edo period as a puppet theater piece called "Tsubosaka Miracle Chronicle Miyabiku," and the name and benefits of Tsubosaka Temple quickly became well known. Even today, hundreds of years later, the temple remains well known, and worshippers from all over the country still gather there to pray for the cure for eye disease. Based on this history, Tsubosaka Temple has also strived to spread Buddhist doctrines around the world, and the temple grounds maintain a unique international style with a relief of Buddha made of stone from India and a charnel house modeled after the Ajundah cave temple. The shape and sense of color, which are somewhat un-Japanese, and the strange harmony that is expressed in the deep, rich mountain range of Mount Tsubosaka are thought to be the unique charm of this temple, which is filled with various strange connections and stories. Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★ (There are quite a few people, but it's a large place so it doesn't bother me) Visited: 4th Saturday in September, around 2pm Access: About 30 minutes by car from Katsuragi IC #Tsubosakadera Temple #Minamihokkeji Temple #Nara #Nara Prefecture #Nara Trip #Nara Sightseeing #I'm a Nara School #Delicious and Beautiful Nara #Back to Nara #Nara is Beautiful #Takatori Town #Domestic Travel Lover #Temple Tour #Temple Lover #Temples and Shrines #Temple and Shrine Tour #Shrine and Temple Tour #Buddha Statue #Buddha Statue Lover #Buddha Statue Tour #Saigoku Thirty-Three Temples #Saigoku Thirty-Three Temples Pilgrimage #Saigoku Thirty-Three Kannon Temples #Kannon Bodhisattva #Ningyo Bunraku #Sealing Eye Disease #History Lover #Solo Travel #Life with Travel