Nittaiji Temple

Nittaiji — literally "Japan-Thailand Temple" — was founded in 1904 specifically to house relics of the Buddha donated to Japan by the King of Siam (now Thailand). It is a non-sectarian Buddhist temple, formally outside the major Japanese schools, and the closest thing in Japan to a national religious site for the historic Buddha himself.

The grounds in the eastern hills above Kakuozan are extensive and lightly visited compared to the central sights. A monthly antique market on the 21st (the day of Kobo Daishi's death) draws collectors and the temple street fills with stalls. The five-storey Gohonzon Hokyobu pagoda is a 1997 reconstruction. Kakuozan Station (Higashiyama subway line), then a 10-minute uphill walk.

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A story
In 1898 a British colonial archaeologist excavated a small stone reliquary from a stupa in Piprahwa, India, with an inscription identifying the contents as the cremated remains of the Buddha himself. The find was divided between Thailand and a list of Buddhist nations; Japan's share was eventually settled here in 1904. The relics are kept in the inner sanctuary of the Hokyobu pagoda and shown to the public on the 21st of each month.

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