Kudara-ji Temple (Koryo-cho) (百済寺 (広陵町))
Kudara-ji Temple is a Koyasan Shingonshu sect temple located in Koryo-cho, Kitakatsuragi Country, Nara Prefecture. There is no sango (literally, "mountain name"), which is the title prefixed to the name of a Buddhist temple. Honzon (principal image of Buddha) is the Eleven-faced kannon (Goddess of Mercy).
History
It is unclear that when and why Kudara-ji Temple was founded. In this temple, only a three-story pagoda and small Hondo (main hall) remain, and are managed by Kasuga Wakamiya-jinja Shrine which is connected to this Kudara-ji Temple.
Kudara-ji Temple and Kudara-daiji Temple
Formerly, it was said that in this area there was Kudara-daiji Temple (one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara and also precursor of Daian-ji Temple), and it is recorded in an article of July of the year 639 in the "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan). In the "Shoki" (stands for Nihonshoki), it is written that Emperor Jomei issued the imperial edict, 'In this year, we found Omiya (the imperial major palace) and Odera (major temple)' and he made the edge of Kudara-gawa River of the place for the imperial palace. However, having excavated the periphery of the present Kudara-ji Temple, nothing could be found; the old-roof tiles nor the trace of kanji (on state-sponsored temples), as evidence to prove that 'this' was the original Kudara-ji Temple, plus, this place is located far from Asuka, the center of the politics, therefore it is doubted that Kudara-daiji has been there since early time. After 1997, as the remains of Kibiike disused temple, Sakurai City (in the west of Abe Monju-in Temple) were being excavated, the possibility that this temple was Kudara-daiji Temple became stronger judging from the scale of Buddhist temple and the era of the excavated survivals.
(Refer to the page of "Daian-ji Temple")
Building
Hondo- It is called Taishokukan (Holder of the Grand Crown) and said that Hondo is the Honden (main shrine) removed from Tanzan-jinja Shrine.
A three-story pagoda (important cultural property) - It is said that it was built in the middle of the Kamakura period.
Access
Take the Nara Kotsu Bus (bound for Hirahata Station) to 'Koryo-cho Yakubamae' from Yamato Takada Station of the Kintetsu Osaka Line or Takada Station of the JR West Sakurai Line (Nara Prefecture) and walk.