Nata-dera
那谷寺
A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.
What this place is
Nata-dera (那谷寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Komatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Kōyasan Shingon-shū sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon (primary image) is a hibutsu hidden statue of Senjū Kannon. The temple is connected by tradition to the 33-temple Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route, but is not a numbered temple on that pilgrimage. The gardens of the Kuri are designed as a National Place of Scenic Beauty, and the entire precincts are covered by a separate National Place of Scenic Beauty designation as a components of the "Landscape of Oku no Hosomichi "
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
- Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
- Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.
What you can do here
- Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
- Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
- Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
- Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
Getting there by public transport
Good to know before you go
- Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
- Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
- Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.
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