The Temple of Flowers and the Eleven-Faced Kannon

Perched on a hillside in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, Hase-dera is one of Japan’s most picturesque and spiritually resonant temples. Founded in 686 AD during the Asuka period, it has long been revered as a center of Kannon (Avalokiteśvara) worship, offering solace, protection, and blessings for safe childbirth and healing.

The temple’s most iconic feature is the giant 10-meter-tall wooden statue of the Eleven-Faced Kannon, housed in the majestic Main Hall (Hondō), a National Treasure rebuilt in 1650. Pilgrims ascend the 399-step covered wooden staircase, flanked by thousands of blooming peonies, hydrangeas, and autumn maples, giving the temple its nickname: “Temple of Flowers.”

Hase-dera is also the head temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism and remains an active pilgrimage site along the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Each season offers a new spiritual and sensory experience—from spring blossoms to tranquil snowscapes.

Whether you seek beauty, devotion, or tradition, Hase-dera invites you to witness the living harmony of nature and faith in Japan’s ancient heartland.