Three-Story Pagoda at Reisanji Temple

The Three-Story Pagoda of Ryōsenji Temple: A Kamakura-Period Masterpiece

Rising gracefully on a wooded hillside in the western outskirts of Nara, the Three-Story Pagoda (Sanjū-no-tō) of Ryōsenji Temple is one of the finest surviving examples of Kamakura-period pagoda architecture in Japan. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, this 17-meter-tall pagoda was built around 1283–1284 in the pure Japanese (Wayō) architectural style and retains a remarkable set of polychrome murals within its first story that have been praised for their exceptional state of preservation over more than seven centuries.

Ryōsenji Temple itself is a place of fascinating contrasts—home to a National Treasure main hall, ancient Buddhist sculptures, a celebrated rose garden with over 2,000 bushes from around the world, and even a traditional herbal hot spring. The pagoda, standing on the southern slope opposite the main hall across a lush valley, offers a quiet and contemplative counterpoint to the more visited areas of the temple grounds.

Historical Background

Ryōsenji Temple traces its origins to the Nara period. According to temple tradition, Emperor Shōmu ordered the eminent monk Gyōki to build a great hall on the slopes of Mount Tomi (Tomiyama) in 734, after Gyōki's prayers there had cured the emperor's daughter of illness. Two years later, in 736, the Indian Brahmin monk Bodhisena (Bodaisenna), who had traveled to Japan to serve as the chief officiant at the Eye-Opening Ceremony of the Great Buddha at Tōdaiji, visited the site and remarked that the landscape resembled Vulture Peak (Gṛdhrakūṭa) in India—the mountain where the Buddha delivered many important sutras. He proposed naming the temple Ryōsenji, meaning "Sacred Mountain Temple," and the name has endured ever since.

The Three-Story Pagoda is believed to have been constructed around 1283 to 1284, during the Kōan era of the Kamakura period. This dating places it in roughly the same era as the temple's main hall, which is documented by a ridge-pole inscription to 1283 and holds the status of a National Treasure. Because Ryōsenji was fortunate enough to escape the destruction of war throughout its long history, both the pagoda and the main hall have survived in remarkably authentic condition, preserving the architectural character of the Kamakura era.

Why It Was Designated an Important Cultural Property

The Three-Story Pagoda of Ryōsenji was designated as an Important Cultural Property for several compelling reasons. First, it is an authentic Kamakura-period pagoda built entirely in the traditional Japanese architectural style (Wayō), making it a valuable example of the continuing evolution of native pagoda construction during the medieval period. At 17 meters tall, the pagoda features a cypress-bark (hiwadabuki) roof, a roofing technique considered one of the most refined traditional methods in Japanese architecture and itself recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of traditional Japanese building craftsmanship.

Perhaps even more remarkable are the polychrome murals that adorn the interior of the first story, which are separately designated as an Important Cultural Property in their own right. These paintings cover virtually every surface inside the first level: the rear wall (raigō-heki) behind the Buddhist altar bears images of the Five Great Wisdom Kings (Godai Myōō), while the reverse side of that same wall features a depiction of the Nirvana of the Buddha (Nehan-zu). The four doors are painted with the Eight Directional Guardians (Happōten), the upper horizontal beams (nageshi) display flying celestial beings (hiten), the supporting boards (shirinita) are decorated with floral patterns, and the coffered ceiling features five-petaled flowers. The paintings have been attributed by some scholars to the legendary artist Kose no Kanaoka, although this remains a matter of scholarly debate. What is beyond dispute is the extraordinarily well-preserved condition of these murals—they show remarkably little flaking or fading despite being over 700 years old.

Architectural Highlights and Visitor Experience

The pagoda stands on a hillside south of the temple's central valley, reached by a stone stairway that winds up through a grove of trees. Its position on the slope gives it a commanding yet harmonious presence within the surrounding landscape. Near the pagoda, traces of the former South Gate (Nandaimon) can still be found, suggesting that in earlier centuries the southern approach may have served as the temple's main entrance—as was typical of ancient Japanese temple layouts.

The principal image enshrined within the first story is a Crowned Amida Nyorai (Hōkan Amida Nyorai), a graceful figure that complements the rich painted decoration of the interior walls. However, the pagoda's doors are normally kept closed, and the interior is open to the public only on a single day each year: November 3rd. On this day, the four doors are opened so visitors can view the stunning murals from outside the pagoda. Visitors cannot enter the tower itself, but the surrounding viewpoints allow for an intimate appreciation of the painted interior.

When the pagoda is not open, visitors can still admire its elegant exterior—the gently curving cypress-bark rooflines, the refined proportions of the three stories, and the graceful finial (sōrin) that crowns the top. The setting amid dense greenery is particularly beautiful in autumn, when the surrounding trees take on vivid colors.

The Temple Grounds: More to Explore

A visit to the Three-Story Pagoda naturally leads to exploration of the wider Ryōsenji Temple complex, which offers an unusually diverse range of attractions. The Main Hall (Hondō), a National Treasure dating to 1283, enshrines the temple's principal image: a Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha) triad from the late Heian period (1066), which is a designated Important Cultural Property and only revealed to the public during special autumn exhibitions and the New Year period.

The temple's celebrated Rose Garden (Bara Teien), opened in 1957, covers 1,200 tsubo (approximately 3,960 square meters) and contains over 200 varieties and 2,000 bushes of roses from across the globe. It was designed under the supervision of Kyoto University's Department of Landscape Architecture. The garden is at its most magnificent in late May through early June and again in October through November. Within the garden, the tearoom "Prière" serves rose-themed refreshments including rose tea and rose ice cream.

Other notable features include the Jūroku-sho Shrine (Important Cultural Property), a Nanbokuchō-period guardian shrine on the hillside behind the main hall; the golden-leafed Ōgon-den (Golden Hall) built in 1960; and the Yakushi-yu herbal hot spring, where visitors can soak in a traditional medicinal bath using natural plant extracts—a tradition said to date back to the temple's earliest days when the founder cultivated medicinal herbs on this very hillside.

Nearby Attractions

Ryōsenji Temple is situated in the Tomio district of western Nara, offering convenient access to several other worthwhile destinations. Nearby Akahada-yaki pottery workshops continue a centuries-old tradition of ceramic production in the area. The historic Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine, associated with the scholar-statesman Sugawara no Michizane, lies within easy reach. Further afield, the great temples of central Nara—Tōdaiji with its colossal Great Buddha, Kōfukuji with its iconic five-story pagoda, and the vermilion-columned Kasuga Grand Shrine—are all accessible within about 30 minutes by bus or car.

For those interested in pagoda architecture specifically, the nearby Hōki-ji Temple in Ikaruga features one of Japan's oldest three-story pagodas (Nara period), while the National Treasure three-story pagoda at Kōfuku-ji dates from the Kamakura period—making for an excellent comparative study of pagoda design across the ages.