Chugu-ji

Temple

中宮寺

Home to Japan's Most Celebrated

Miroku Bosatsu

Closely associated with Prince Shotoku and his mother, Empress Anahobe no Hashihito, Chugu-ji Temple is a historic Buddhist nunnery in Ikaruga, Nara. Official sources explain that the temple was originally founded during the Asuka period at a site about 500 meters east of its present location before being relocated beside the eastern precinct of Horyu-ji Temple. This history reflects its long-standing connection with both the Ikaruga region and the religious world surrounding Prince Shotoku.

The temple is especially renowned for its seated contemplative bodhisattva, widely known as the Miroku Bosatsu, one of the finest masterpieces of early Japanese Buddhist sculpture. Together with its quiet atmosphere and long history as a convent, the temple offers visitors a unique perspective on early Buddhist faith and artistic achievement.

For visitors, Chugu-ji provides a rewarding introduction to early Japanese Buddhism, the role of religious women's communities, and the cultural landscape shared with nearby Horyu-ji.

Traditional Japanese wooden gate with tiled roof, leading into a garden with trees and bushes, under a partly cloudy sky.
Traditional Japanese wooden building with curved tiled roof and sliding wooden shutters, trees, gravel pathway, and a blue sky with clouds.
Wooden sliding doors with horizontal slats on a traditional Japanese building, flanked by two benches on a wooden porch.
A peaceful gravel pathway lined with green bushes on each side, leading through a traditional Japanese setting with trees and buildings with tiled roofs under a partly cloudy sky.
Close-up of pink, white, and purple flowers on a branch with a Japanese-style garden structure in the background.
Traditional Japanese wooden shrine with a curved roof, set in a garden with trees and bushes, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A traditional Japanese garden with a gravel pathway, a white fence gate, decorative trees, and a tree with yellow fruit or ornaments, under a partly cloudy sky.
Traditional Japanese wooden building with curved roof, surrounded by trees and a gravel courtyard, under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
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