is a major

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

in the historic

Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Province (now ...

area of

Nara Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama P ...

, Japan. Its formal name is and is associated with the

Shingon file:Koyasan (Mount Koya) monks.jpg, Shingon monks at Mount Koya is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, originally spread from India to China through traveling monks suc ...

Buzan Buzan (alt. Buzun) was khan of the Chagatai Khanate from 1333 to 1334 (or from 1334 to 1335). He was the son of Duwa Temür. Following the death of his uncle Tarmashirin, Buzan took control of the khanate. Sources described him as a Muslim, tho ...

sect. It was founded by Priest during the 7th century, and is the 7th temple on the

Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage The is a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. In addition to the official thirty-three temples, there are an additional three known as . The principal image in each ...

. The statue of Gien is one of the

national treasures of Japan Some of the National Treasures of Japan A is the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (a special body of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scien ...

. At the heart of the temple is Japan's largest clay image, a Nyoirin

Kannon Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...

from the 8th century. The temple can be accessed from either

Okadera Station is a railway station located in Kashihara, Nara, Japan. The station was named after Oka-dera, a Buddhist temple located east of the station. However, the temple recommends visitors use Kashiharajingū-mae Station for bus connections since the ...

Asuka Station is a railway station located in Asuka, Takaichi, Nara, Japan, on the Kintetsu Railway Yoshino Line. Lines * Kintetsu Railway ** Yoshino Line Platforms and tracks Surroundings * *Takamatsuzuka Tomb *Ishibutai Kofun *Oni no Manaita, On ...

Kintetsu ''Kintetsu'' is the abbreviation of , or Kintetsu Railway, a Japanese railway corporation. It may also refer to: Companies * Kintetsu Group Holdings, the holding corporation of the Kintetsu Railway ** Kintetsu Bus, a bus company and a subsidiary ...

Yoshino Line The is a railway line in Nara Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Kintetsu Railway. It connects in Kashihara and in Yoshino. All Express and Limited Express trains continue to and from Ōsaka Abenobashi Station on the Mi ...

, or by car on Route 169. Note if visiting by train that the temple is several kilometers from either of these stations, in the hills to the east of Asuka-mura.

References

External links

Okadera Temple - Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oka-Dera Buddhist temples in Nara Prefecture Important Cultural Properties of Japan Historic Sites of Japan