History, culture

A serene hilltop temple

This temple adjacent to Takarazuka-jinja Shrine is said to have been established by Prince Shōtoku as one of the seven great temples. It enshrines a sitting statue of the Buddha made from assembled pieces of wood. The statue is thought to have been created in the early Muromachi Period (1336–1573) and is a designated cultural property of Takarazuka city. The granite roban (“dew plate”) made in the middle of the Kamakura Period (1185–1333) is also a designated cultural property of the city. The temple was destroyed by fire during the rebellion of Araki Murashige in 1578, but restored in the Edo Period (1603–1867).