Minami Hokke-ji (南法華寺) – Tsubosakadera, Temple of the Jar Hillside

Minami Hokke-ji, more commonly called Tsubosakadera, is a Shingon temple in Nara Prefecture set high on Tsubosaka Mountain. Famous for centuries as a place of healing for eye diseases, it draws many sight-impaired visitors each year. The temple operates hospices and welfare facilities for the blind, both in Japan and in India, reflecting its long tradition of compassionate service. The grounds feature numerous stone sculptures carved in India, a result of ongoing cultural and social exchanges.

Things to See at Tsubosakadera

Great Kannon

A 110-meter-high marble statue of Kannon, completed in 1986, assembled from pieces carved in India over four years and weighing over 1,500 tons.

Jōgandō

An ossuary dedicated to Dainichi Nyorai, with carved representations of the two main esoteric mandalas and both Indian and Japanese Buddhist motifs.

Jataka Wall

A large marble relief from India depicting episodes from the life of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Sanjūtō

A three-story pagoda built in 1497, replacing an earlier 10th-century structure, and designated a National Important Cultural Property.

Raidō and Hondō

The raidō (“verandah”) is a worship hall added during the Muromachi period to accommodate growing numbers of pilgrims. The octagonal Hondō behind it enshrines the temple’s principal image.

Osato and Sawaichi Statue

A marble statue of the couple from the “Miracle of Tsubosakadera,” touched by thousands of blind visitors seeking healing.

Phoenix Tile

An excavated Hakuho-era clay tile with a phoenix relief, the oldest known Buddhist artifact in Japan, designated a National Important Cultural Heritage object.

Five Hundred Rakan

Rows of ancient stone bodhisattva images in the forest on the way to the Okunoin, dating back over a thousand years.

Jibōen

Japan’s first residential facility for the sight-impaired elderly, established in 1962 by the temple’s social welfare society, alongside other welfare projects inspired by the late abbot Shoken Tokiwa.

Legends of Tsubosakadera

Founding Legend – Benki Shami

Founded in 703 by the ascetic Benki Shami, who unearthed a lapis lazuli jar containing a small golden Kannon after seeing a vision of blue light. When Empress Genshō suffered from eye disease, he cured her by reciting the Senju darani a thousand times while placing prayer beads over her eyes. In gratitude, she built the temple and named it Minami Hokke-ji, though it has long been known as Tsubosakadera.

The Miracle of Osato and Sawaichi

A blind masseur, Sawaichi, suspected his wife Osato of infidelity when she left each night. She revealed she had been praying at the temple for 100 nights to restore his sight. Ashamed, he accompanied her, but afterward attempted suicide. Osato followed, and both were saved by Kannon, who restored Sawaichi’s vision. The story became a famous puppet play in the Meiji era.

Principal Image of Worship

The principal image is a Jūichimen Senjū Kannon carved in the Muromachi period from kashi wood, replacing a 9th-century statue lost to fire. Known for healing eye diseases, it remains visible year-round rather than kept as a secret image.

Goeika of Tsubosakadera

Iwa wo tate
Mizu wo tataete
Tsubosaka no
Niwa no isago mo
Jodo naru ran

Placing the rocks
Adding flowing water
Tsubosaka’s
Sand garden
Becomes the Pure Land

Many thanks to author and friend Cate Kodo Juno. Cate is a Buddhist priest ordained in the Shingon Buddhist tradition of Japan. She is also a "sendatsu" (先達), or official pilgrimage guide, of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.