kawara tera

Kawaradera was a great Buddhist temple flourishing in Asuka (present-day Kawahara, Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture). Founded at the behest of Empress Saimei to pray for the repose of Emperor Jomei, the original Kawahara Palace was later converted into a temple. In its prime, it was counted among the "Four Great Temples of Asuka" alongside Asukadera, Yakushiji, and Daikandariji. Its distinctive "Kawaradera-style" layout influenced later temple construction. During the Nara period, the great monk Roben served as abbot; in the Heian period, it became a Shingon temple. However, from the medieval era onward, repeated warfare and fires caused its decline, and it was eventually abandoned. Today, the site is designated a national historic site, with Gufuku-ji of the Shingon Buzan sect inheriting its dharma lineage.