Hase-dera

Temple

長谷寺

A Hillside Temple

of Prayer and Seasonal Beauty

Rising above the valley at the end of a long covered staircase, Hase-dera Temple has welcomed pilgrims and visitors for more than thirteen centuries. Located in Hase, Sakurai City, Nara, about a 15-minute walk from Kintetsu Hasedera Station, the temple traces its origins to 686 and later became one of Japan's foremost centers of devotion to the Eleven-Faced Kannon. It is also recognized as the eighth temple of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

One of the temple's defining features is its famous covered staircase (Noboriro), which leads visitors to the National Treasure Main Hall. From its elevated veranda, sweeping views extend across the surrounding valley and mountains. Hase-dera is also celebrated for its changing seasonal scenery, especially its peonies in spring and vibrant autumn foliage, giving the temple a distinctive beauty throughout the year.

For visitors exploring Sakurai, Hase-dera offers a rewarding experience where Buddhist devotion, historic architecture, and the natural landscape come together in harmony.

Stone stairs leading up through a traditional Japanese garden with lush greenery, pine trees, and small decorative structures under a partly cloudy sky.
Traditional Japanese temple with wooden architecture, clay tile roof, stone lantern, surrounded by trees, with stone steps in the foreground and a blue sky in the background.
Wooden covered walkway with a staircase, traditional lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and inscriptions on the posts, surrounded by trees and stone walls.
A stone staircase ascending through a wooded area with leafless trees and some yellow and green foliage, lined by white walls and a stone wall, with traditional buildings visible in the background.
Traditional Japanese wooden building with gray tiled roof and stone lanterns at the entrance.
A bamboo water fountain, with water flowing from bamboo pipes into small bowls on a bamboo mat, in an outdoor setting.
A traditional Japanese wooden temple with a curved roof, hanging paper lanterns, and a sign with Japanese characters above the entrance. There are trees and a bright sky in the background.
Interior of a traditional Asian wooden structure with hanging paper lanterns, a central decorative frame with inscription, and scenic mountain view through open windows.
A statue of a seated monk or religious figure with hands in prayer, wearing a robe with a floral collar, in front of a wooden wall with Japanese writing on plaques, decorated with purple and white paper cranes.
Wooden viewing platform with a traditional Japanese building on the left and visitors looking out at a scenic mountain landscape with lush green forest and a partly cloudy sky.
Traditional Japanese temple with wooden structure and tiled roof, surrounded by trees and mountains in the background.
Colorful origami paper cranes hanging on a wooden fence at a shrine or temple.
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