Buddhist temple
Shōryaku-ji
正暦寺（しょうりゃくじ）
Nara, Nara Prefecture
The head temple (daihonzan) of the Bodaisen Shingon school, in the mountains southeast of Nara City. Its principal image is a hidden Yakushi Nyorai seated on a chair (izō), a nationally Important Cultural Property, which is shown in the main hall during the special autumn viewing. It is also known as "Nishiki no Sato", a famous place for autumn leaves.
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: Yakushi Nyorai (a hidden image seated on a chair)
History and things to know
According to the official guide, it was founded in 992 (Shōryaku 3) by the high priest Kenshun on the order of Emperor Ichijō, and it was once a temple of imperial prayer with 86 sub-temples. It lost the whole temple in Taira no Shigehira's burning of Nara in 1180, and it is said to have been restored in 1218 by the high priest Shin'en of Kōfuku-ji as a place of study for the Hossō school. It declined from the Edo period onward, and today the guest hall of Fukuju-in, the main hall and the bell tower remain.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
Outside the autumn-leaves season the main hall is opened only irregularly, so it may not be possible to worship inside it (the main hall grounds can be visited).
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 正暦寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-21 確認）
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