Kansai · NaraCultural
For two days each August, Toshodaiji opens the Jizo-do and lets visitors see a hidden Heian-period statue that spends the rest of the year behind closed doors.
Overview
Jizo-bon (地蔵盆) is a summer observance found across the Kinki region, honouring Jizo Bosatsu as the guardian of children and praying for their healthy growth. It falls around 23 and 24 August.
At Toshodaiji in Nara, the observance takes a particular form: the Jizo-do, normally closed, is specially opened so visitors can view a standing Jizo Bosatsu that is otherwise a hibutsu — a hidden Buddha. Toshodaiji is the head temple of the Risshu school, founded by the Chinese monk Ganjin, and part of the UNESCO World Heritage “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara”.
When and Where
Dates: 23 and 24 August 2026 (fixed annual dates).
Hours: event-specific hours are not published. Temple opening hours apply: 08:30–17:00, last admission 16:30.
Venue: Toshodaiji, Jizo-do hall, 13-46 Gojo-cho, Nara City.
Getting There
Take the Kintetsu Kashihara Line to Nishinokyo Station — the temple is about ten minutes on foot. If you are coming from Kintetsu Nara, change at Yamato-Saidaiji, as Nishinokyo is not on the Nara Line.
Alternatively, Nara Kotsu bus route 78 from JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara Station takes about seventeen minutes to the Toshodaiji stop, which is right outside. There is a paid car park with 150 spaces, open 08:00–18:00.
What to Expect
The statue is the reason to come. It is an Important Cultural Property, traditionally attributed to Kobo Daishi and dating to the Heian period, carved from a single block of hinoki cypress in the ichiboku-zukuri technique. Unusually, this Jizo is shown wearing shoes on both feet.
Beyond the Jizo-do, the temple’s main draws remain open: the Kondo with its monumental Nara-period sculpture, the Kodo, and the Toindo. The precinct is quiet and wooded, and August afternoons here are considerably calmer than Nara Park.
Tickets and Admission
Temple admission applies: ¥1,000 for adults and university students, ¥400 for high and junior high school students, ¥200 for elementary students. Group rates from 30 people are ¥800 / ¥320 / ¥160. Whether the Jizo-do opening carries an additional charge is not stated on the temple’s site — the temple notes that special exhibitions can require a separate fee on top of admission.
Tips for Visitors
Pair it with Gangoji after dark. Gangoji’s Jizo-e Manto Kuyo runs the same two evenings across town from 17:00 — Toshodaiji by day, Gangoji by night makes a natural pairing.
Last admission is 16:30. Arrive with time to spare; the Jizo-do is a short visit but the wider precinct deserves an hour.
Yakushiji is a few minutes’ walk away. Both temples share Nishinokyo Station, so the two combine easily into a half day.
Access and Map
| Dates | 23–24 August 2026 (fixed annually) |
|---|---|
| Hours | Temple hours 08:30–17:00, last admission 16:30. Event-specific hours not published. |
| Venue | Toshodaiji, Jizo-do, 13-46 Gojo-cho, Nara City, Nara |
| Access | Kintetsu Kashihara Line to Nishinokyo Station, approx. 10 min walk; or Nara Kotsu bus route 78 to Toshodaiji stop |
| Admission | ¥1,000 adults / ¥400 high & junior high / ¥200 elementary |
| Official site | Toshodaiji Temple |
Source: Toshodaiji Temple official site
Also: Nara City Tourism Association
Image: Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 — the temple Kondo (venue); no free-licensed image of the rite exists
