Its tahōtō, built in 1194, is the oldest dated two-storey pagoda in Japan.
The temple has stood since 747 on an outcrop of limestone rock (wollastonite), from which it takes its name, ‘Ishiyama’, stone mountain. Tradition has it that the writer Murasaki Shikibu retreated here in 1004 and that here, on a full-moon night, she conceived the ‘Suma’ and ‘Akashi’ chapters of the Genji Monogatari. The tahōtō (the two-storey pagoda, a National Treasure) bears an ink inscription inside that dates its construction to 1194 with certainty: this is why it is the oldest example of its type in Japan whose exact year is known.
Shingon school temple founded in 747, the thirteenth temple of the Saigoku pilgrimage dedicated to Kannon.
ℹ️ Approximate opening hours 9:00–16:30 (phone to confirm: 077-537-0013). Ticket price not checked precisely. Famous for its cherry trees in spring and its autumn leaves.
🚉 Ishiyamadera · 14 min walk
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