Buddhist temple
Byōdō-ji (Sakurai)
平等寺（桜井市）（びょうどうじ）
Sakurai, Nara Prefecture
A Sōtō Zen temple along the Yamanobe no Michi in Miwa, Sakurai, Nara Prefecture. Its principal image is a hidden image of Jūichimen Kanzeon Bosatsu, and it also keeps the Miwa Fudō, a statue of Keien Shōnin and other images.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: Jūichimen Kanzeon Bosatsu (hidden image)
History and things to know
Temple tradition regards Prince Shōtoku as its founder. In the early Kamakura period it welcomed Keien Shōnin and flourished as the inner temple (oku-no-in) of the Miwa shrine. It lost most of its buildings in the anti-Buddhist movement of the Meiji era, but its Buddhist lineage was later carried on as a Sōtō temple, and the temple name Byōdō-ji was restored in Shōwa 52.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
It is a separate temple from Ōmiwa Jinja.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 平等寺（桜井市）「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
This site is independent of the shrines, temples, and other websites mentioned. No partnership or endorsement is implied.