An ancient temple founded in the Nara period at the foot of Mt. Nijo, it is the only temple in Japan where both the east and west pagodas from the Tempyo era survive intact. The principal object of worship, the Taima Mandala, is a national treasure and symbol of Pure Land Buddhism, held by legend to have been woven in a single night by Princess Chujo using lotus fibers. Tradition holds that Prince…

Taimadera Temple is traditionally said to have been founded in 612 by Prince Maroko near present-day Domyoji in Osaka. Around 681, the temple is believed to have been relocated to its current site at the foot of Mount Nijo by the Taima clan. During the Nara period, the temple complex was developed a…