Hase-dera

Buzan Shinrakuin Hase-dera
Basic information
Location	731-1 Hatsuse, Sakurai, Nara Prefecture
Affiliation	Shingon-shu Buzan-ha
Country	Japan
Website	http://www.hasedera.or.jp/index.html
Completed	8th century (727?)

Hase-dera (長谷寺^?) is the main temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. The temple is located in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The Main Hall is a National Treasure of Japan.

According to the description on the bronze plaque known as the Hokke Sessō-zu (銅板法華説相図, dōban hokke sessō zu^?), which is enshrined at Hase-dera, the temple was first built in 686 and dedicated to Emperor Tenmu, who was suffering from a disease. Later, in the year 727, the temple was expanded by order of Emperor Shōmu and a statue of the eleven-faced Kannon was placed near the original temple that enshrined the bronze plaque. The temple has been burned down and rebuilt as many as ten times since the 10th century.

During the Heian period the temple was favored by members of the nobility such as the authors of the Kagerō Nikki and the Sarashina Nikki. Hase-dera was consistently popular with visitors, helped by the fact it was situated on what was then the route to the Ise Shrine. Later still, Hase-dera flourished as one of the centers of the reformed Shingon Buddhism, particularly after the arrival of priest Sen'yo from Negoro-ji in 1588.

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