After thoroughly enjoying my walk around Kikōji, I made my way to the final destination of my Nara sightseeing trip, Saidaiji. It took about 20 minutes to walk north from Kikōji, and soon I arrived at Saidaiji.
Saidaiji was once one of the great temples of the Seven Great Temples of Nanto, flourishing as a significant temple. It might just be the perfect place to wrap up this journey. What kind of encounter awaits me at the very end!?
Now, let me introduce you to Saidaiji.
What is Saidai-ji?
In the 8th year of Tenpyo Hōji (764), on September 11th, when the rebellion of Fujiwara Nakamaro (Emishi no Oshikatsu) was discovered, Empress Kōken vowed on the same day to construct statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, which appear in the Konkōmyō-kyō (Golden Light Sutra) as protective deities of the state. The following year, in 765, Empress Kōken ascended the throne again as Emperor Shōtoku and fulfilled her vow by casting statues of the Four Heavenly Kings in bronze. This is considered the origin of Saidaiji Temple.
Building on this, while her father, Emperor Shōmu, established Tōdai-ji in the eastern outskirts of Heijō-kyō, his daughter, Empress Shōtoku (also known as Empress Kōken), founded the temple on the western side, in the area of Miyanishi.
At the time of its founding, Saidaiji was a grand temple with a vast precinct that included the Yakushi and Miroku Halls, along with two pagodas (east and west), the Shiō-in, and the Jūichimen-dōin, totaling over a hundred buildings lined up under its roofs. It was a temple of a scale befitting one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara. In fact, it could be seen as the western counterpart to the great Tōdai-ji in the east.
However, after the capital was moved to Heian-kyō, Saidaiji, as a temple from the old capital, gradually became neglected by the imperial court. It also suffered repeated disasters, leading to its rapid decline. By the middle of the Heian period, the once-thriving temple had lost all traces of its former glory and became desolate.
It was during the Kamakura period, in the mid-1200s, that Saidaiji was revived by the monk Eison (1201–1290). In 1235, Eison took residence at the temple and, under the slogan “Kōhō Rishō” (Promoting the Dharma and Benefiting All Beings), he initiated religious activities such as the promotion of precepts and the provision of charity for the poor. Through his efforts, Saidaiji flourished as the center of his unique religious activities. Thanks to Eison’s revitalization, Saidaiji was reborn as a completely new medieval temple, becoming the main training ground for both esoteric and precept-based teachings.
Later, during the Muromachi period, Saidaiji suffered significant damage in 1502 due to a fire caused by warfare, losing many of its buildings. However, in the Edo period, under the 300 koku of temple land donated by the shogunate, the reconstruction of various halls began, leading to the temple’s present structure. In the modern era, in June of 1895, Saidaiji was officially recognized by the Ministry of Home Affairs as an independent sect of the “Shingon Ritsu School.” After World War II, the temple became the head temple overseeing over ninety affiliated temples nationwide, continuing to preserve and pass on the teachings and legacy of “Shingon Ritsu” (Esoteric Precept Buddhism) as founded by Eison.
Exploring the Grounds
This time, I entered the Saidaiji temple grounds through the East Gate, so the first thing I encountered was the Shiwon-dō (Four Kings Hall). It’s a relatively small building, but I wonder what’s inside.
Upon entering the Shiou-dō (Four Kings Hall), as the name suggests, I found the Four Heavenly Kings statues (Important Cultural Property, Muromachi period) enshrined inside. This time, I wanted to pay attention not only to the Four Heavenly Kings but also to the evil spirits they are trampling underfoot. While the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings were created during the Muromachi period, the evil spirits date back to the Nara period, preserving the appearance of the temple from its founding. Interestingly, the appearance of these evil spirits varies greatly depending on the era and region, which makes it fun to observe. It would be a shame to dismiss them as simply strange, trampled monsters.
Also, the Eleven-Headed Kannon statue (Important Cultural Property, Heian period) exudes quite a presence.
Another notable feature here is the statue of Zen Master Dōkyō. Dōkyō is often remembered for his close ties to Empress Kōken (Empress Shōtoku) and his role in political turmoil, earning him a reputation as a “bad monk.” However, since the temple’s foundation is attributed to Empress Kōken, Dōkyō is treated as a figure who supported and contributed to her reign. Whether this interpretation is correct or if both perspectives are valid may be a matter of debate.
Having finished exploring the interior of the Shiou-dō, I made my way toward the center of the temple. As seen in the photo below, the temple grounds are well-maintained and give a clean impression.
I discovered the Main Hall (Hondō) and entered to find it housing valuable statues, including the principal statue of Shakyamuni Buddha (Important Cultural Property, Kamakura period).
What stood out most was the sheer number of lanterns inside the Main Hall. There are said to be about 300 of them, and together they create an enchanting atmosphere, making you feel as though you’ve stepped into another world. This unique feature is not commonly seen in other temples, so it’s definitely something to witness when visiting Saidaiji.
Just to the west of the Main Hall is a building called Aizendō. This structure was originally the western room of Eison’s residence, located at the site of his former living quarters. In 1767, during the Edo period, it was relocated and rebuilt with the donation of a pavilion from the Konoe family in Kyoto.
Inside, the Aizen Myōō seated statue (Important Cultural Property, Kamakura period) is enshrined. Though small, the statue conveys a vivid and lively presence. Another noteworthy piece is Statue of Eison (National Treasure, Kamakura period). This statue represents Eison himself and is highly realistic, making it easy to imagine what he may have looked like.
As I stepped out of Aizendō and looked to the right, I could see the bell tower. Originally, this bell tower was located at Tada-in in Settsu, but it was relocated to Saidaiji during the late Edo period or early Meiji period. Tada-in, located in what is now Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, was the birthplace of the Seiwa Genji clan. In the Kamakura period, it was restored by the monk Ninshō and became a branch temple of Saidaiji. After the Meiji period’s policies of temple destruction and religious reforms, the temple was abolished and became the Tada Shrine, where the five ancestors of the Genji clan are enshrined.
By the way, the Ninshō mentioned here was a disciple of Eison. A famous temple connected to Ninshō is Gokuraku-ji in Kamakura. The temple is particularly beautiful when the hydrangeas bloom, making the grounds vibrant and stunning. If you have the chance, I highly recommend visiting it during that time.
Conclusion
With this, my temple and shrine tour in Nara is complete. I had planned to visit 13 places in 3 days, and I was a bit worried about whether I could make it, but now that it’s done, I feel relieved. However, next time I come to Nara, I’d like to take my time and visit each place more carefully. Also, there are other places I’d like to visit, like Asuka, which I wasn’t able to go to this time. I look forward to exploring more in the future!
I’ve also summarized my Nara trip for the blog, but it ended up taking more than two months. I really want to capture the feelings and experiences I had in the moment, so writing it while my memories are still fresh is one of my challenges. To address this, I realize I need to be more thorough with my research beforehand and come up with strategies like writing small summaries while I’m traveling.
Although this trip was full of challenges, it was incredibly meaningful. As a father raising children, it’s not easy to go on solo trips, but I think it’s okay to allow myself this kind of break every now and then. Of course, if I did this too often, I’d probably face some resistance from my wife…
Moving forward, I plan to continue exploring Kamakura, and hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll do a temple tour in Kyoto. By learning from the challenges of this trip, improving my writing skills and photography, I hope to share my experiences and inspire many people. Thank you for following along, and until next time!
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