Ishidoji Temple and the Legend of the Ashoka Pagoda
Ishidoji Temple (石塔寺, Ishidō-ji) is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Ishido-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, where a stone three-storied pagoda of the early Nara period, designated in 1907, stands on the hill behind the main hall. Its mountain name is Ashoka-ōzan, and tradition credits Prince Shōtoku with its founding. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database reads the name as Sekitō-ji, but the temple and local tourism bodies use Ishidō-ji, and this page follows them.
The mountain name comes from a temple legend. A century after the Buddha died, the Indian king Ashoka is said to have built 84,000 stupas, sealed relics of the Buddha inside them and scattered them across the world. In the Heian period the monk Jakushō, then in Tang China, heard that one of them lay buried in Ōmi Province. He sealed a letter in a wooden box and set it adrift; three years later the box came ashore at Akashi Bay, and the buried pagoda was dug up. That story is why the stone pagoda on the hill is still called the Ashoka Pagoda (阿育王塔).
The history behind the stones runs along a different line. The southern part of Higashiomi was known in antiquity as Gamō-no, and the Nihon Shoki records that many people from the Korean kingdom of Baekje settled in the area after the Battle of Baekgang in 663. The Shiga Cultural Properties Protection Association notes that the pagoda is close in its details to stone pagodas of the former Baekje region, and suggests those settlers may have had a hand in building it.
How the Ishidoji Temple Grounds Are Laid Out
The grounds of Ishidoji Temple sit on two levels: the main hall near the parking area, and a hilltop terrace at the top of a long flight of stone steps. A plaque reading Ashoka-ōzan hangs on the gate, and the steps climb through red pines. They are steeper than they look, and the pagoda stays hidden until the very last step, when it suddenly fills the view.
The terrace is packed with small five-ring pagodas and stone Buddhas, said to number in the tens of thousands. The three-storied pagoda stands at the center; on its east side are two five-ring pagodas, with a hōtō pagoda beside them. Each of the three is an Important Cultural Property of Japan: the three-storied pagoda was designated in 1907, and the hōtō and the pair of five-ring pagodas followed on 9 February 1960. The pagoda belongs to the early Nara period, the hōtō is inscribed 1302, and the five-ring pagodas carry the dates 1304 and 1349.
All three stand in the open, so one loop of the terrace takes them in. Look at the big pagoda from the front, then walk around to its east side, where the hōtō and the five-ring pagodas are grouped close together.
Ishidoji Temple Opening Hours, Admission and Access
Ishidoji Temple is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is 400 yen for adults and 100 yen for children. For enquiries, the temple can be reached at 0748-55-0213.
The nearest station is Sakuragawa on the Ohmi Railway, about 2.2 km southwest of the temple. From Sakuragawa, a local bus heading for Nakanogo stops at Ishidoguchi, roughly a 15-minute walk from Ishidoji Temple. From JR Omi-Hachiman Station on the Biwako Line, the published route takes a bus from the south exit toward Hino as far as Sakuragawa, followed by a change. Buses are infrequent, so check the timetable before setting out.
By car, Ishidoji Temple is about 15 minutes from Yokaichi Interchange or Gamo Smart Interchange on the Meishin Expressway. Parking holds 20 cars and 10 large buses. The terrace is reached on foot up the stone steps, so wear comfortable shoes.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishidoji Three-Storied Pagoda
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1479
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishidoji Hoto Pagoda
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1480
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishidoji Five-Ring Pagodas
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1481
- Biwako Visitors Bureau (official Shiga tourism site): Ishidoji Temple
- https://www.biwako-visitors.jp/spot/detail/536/
- Higashiomi Tourism Association: Ishidoji Temple
- https://www.higashiomi.net/media/miru/ishidoji
- Shiga Cultural Properties Protection Association: Traces of Immigrants, Ishidoji Temple
- https://www.shiga-bunkazai.jp/shigabun-shinbun/best-place-in-shiga/%E6%96%B0%E8%BF%91%E6%B1%9F%E5%90%8D%E6%89%80%E5%9C%96%E7%B5%B5%E7%AC%AC294%E5%9B%9E-%E6%B8%A1%E6%9D%A5%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E8%B6%B3%E8%B7%A1%EF%BC%8D%E6%9D%B1%E8%BF%91%E6%B1%9F%E5%B8%82%E7%9F%B3/
Last verified: 2026.10.06
Basic Information
| Name | Ishidoji Temple (Higashiomi) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ishido-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Owner | Ishidoji Temple |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (3) |
| Coordinates | 35.07005, 136.20747 |
