Taima Okunoin: A Taimadera Sub-Temple with Three Buildings from 1604 to 1647
Taima Okunoin (當麻奥院, also written Taima Okunoin or Okunoin of Taimadera) is a sub-temple (Tatchū) of Taimadera in Taima, Katsuragi City, Nara Prefecture, whose Main Hall, Hojo and Bell Tower Gate, built between 1604 and 1647, were designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1989. It lies at the far western edge of the Taimadera grounds, closest to Mount Nijo, and belongs to the Jodo (Pure Land) school.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that Taima Okunoin was once called Ojoin and served as the inner temple of Chion-in, the head temple of the Jodo school in Kyoto. Nara Prefecture's tourism site adds that the twelfth abbot of Chion-in brought a statue of the Jodo founder Honen here from Chion-in with the permission of Emperor Go-Kogon and founded the temple in 1370. That foundation is what brought the Jodo school into Taimadera, which until then had been a Shingon temple.
The Main Hall: A Mieido for Honen
The Main Hall of Taima Okunoin dates from 1604. It is seven bays wide and five deep, single-storied, with a fully hipped (yosemune) roof of hongawara tiles and a three-bay entrance canopy (Kōhai) across the front. Because its principal image is a seated figure of Honen, it is also known as the Mieido, the founder's hall.
The Agency describes a robustly timbered building, seven bays across the front, that keeps the low eaves typical of traditional architecture in Nara. Although it belongs to the Momoyama period, what stays with you is its restraint and the low, steady line of the roof. A ridge tag (Munafuda) recording its construction is included in the designation.
The Hojo: Six Rooms and a Ceiling of Peonies
The Hojo, which the temple calls the Daihojo, was built in 1612. It measures 12.0 meters by 9.0 meters, single-storied under a hipped roof that combines hongawara and sangawara tiles.
According to the Agency, it is a shoin-style building of six rooms, with fairly thick square posts set at every bay, an old-fashioned arrangement. It has been altered, with the Buddhist altar removed, but marks on the posts would allow the original layout to be restored. Two ridge tags are included in the designation.
Nara Prefecture's tourism site says peonies are painted on the ceiling of the Buddha room in the Hojo, and that the Okunoin's fifty-seventh abbot planted peonies in the garden in their honour. That garden, the site says, is where the peony planting at Taimadera began before spreading to the other sub-temples. In a sense, the temple's reputation for flowers starts on this ceiling.
The Bell Tower Gate: A Rare Early Edo Type
The Bell Tower Gate of Taima Okunoin was built in 1647. It is a one-bay, single-doorway romon with an upper story and a hip-and-gable (irimoya) roof of hongawara tiles. The bell hangs in the upper story, so a single structure serves as both gate and belfry.
The Agency calls it one of the few surviving bell tower gates of the early Edo period, well proportioned and in good condition. Together with the Main Hall and the Hojo, it gives Taima Okunoin a complete set of buildings running from the Momoyama period into the early Edo period, and that completeness is part of why the three were designated. Their dates show them going up one after another over some forty years.
Visiting Taima Okunoin
Taima Okunoin charges its own admission, separate from the ticket for Taimadera's three central halls. Nara Prefecture's tourism site lists opening hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and fees of 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children, including the treasure house (checked September 2026). Prices may change during special openings.
The seated Honen in the Main Hall is normally hidden. According to the same site, it is shown once a year on 24 February, the anniversary of Honen's death. The Daihojo is also usually closed, but opens each autumn together with the sliding-door paintings Kacho Jodo by Uemura Atsushi; in 2026 the opening is scheduled for 16 to 30 November.
Once inside, you can see the Bell Tower Gate and the Main Hall up close. The car park behind the Okunoin is for its visitors only, and you cannot enter Taimadera's central compound from there without paying. Ask at the reception about photography inside. Directions to Taimadera as a whole are on the Taimadera page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Taima Okunoin
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- Which buildings at Taima Okunoin are Important Cultural Properties?
- Three: the Main Hall (1604), the Hojo (1612) and the Bell Tower Gate (1647), designated in 1989.
- What are the opening hours and admission fee for Taima Okunoin?
- According to Nara Prefecture's tourism site, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children, including the treasure house (checked September 2026). This is separate from Taimadera's three-hall ticket.
- What is enshrined in the Main Hall of Taima Okunoin?
- A seated statue of Honen, founder of the Jodo school, which is why the hall is also called the Mieido. The statue is shown only once a year, on 24 February.
- What kind of temple is Taima Okunoin?
- A sub-temple of Taimadera, once called Ojoin, that served as the inner temple of Chion-in in Kyoto. It belongs to the Jodo school and sits at the western edge of the Taimadera grounds.
- Can I see the Daihojo at Taima Okunoin?
- It is normally closed. It opens each autumn with Uemura Atsushi's sliding-door paintings Kacho Jodo; in 2026 the opening is scheduled for 16 to 30 November.
Basic Information
| Name | Taima Okunoin (當麻奥院): Main Hall, Hojo, Bell Tower Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | Taima, Katsuragi City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1989 |
| Quantity | 3 buildings |
| Dimensions | Main Hall: 7 × 5 bays with a 3-bay kohai / Hojo: 12.0 m × 9.0 m / Bell Tower Gate: 1-bay, 1-doorway romon |
| Owner | Okunoin |
| Public Access | Paid admission (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 500 yen for adults including the treasure house); main image and Daihojo shown only at special openings |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Taima Okunoin, Main Hall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2787
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Taima Okunoin, Hojo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2788
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Taima Okunoin, Bell Tower Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2789
- Nara Prefecture Official Tourism Site: Taimadera Okunoin
- https://yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/01shaji/02tera/02west_area/taimadera-okunoin/
- Katsuragi City: Taimadera Temple
- https://www.city.katsuragi.nara.jp/soshiki/shokokankoka/kankou/spot/6/3/2161.html
- Taimadera Nakanobo: Access by Car
- https://taimadera.org/access/p2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Taimaokuin Bell Tower Gate 0.00 km
- Taimaokuin Main Hall 0.05 km
- Taimaokuin Hojo 0.07 km
