Kakuozan Nittai-ji Temple

The name "Nittai-ji" stands for Japan and Thailand. The mountain name "Kakuo" is another name for the Buddha, and the temple was originally called "Kakuozan Nissen-ji." In 1949, when Siam changed its name to Thailand, it was renamed "Nittai-ji."

The temple's origin lies in the relics believed to be the Buddha's remains. In 1898, the Englishman W. C. Peppe discovered Buddhist relics and a jar at the Piprahwa site in India, and the relics were handed over to Siam. In 1900, King Rama V of Siam presented part of them to Japan, and the temple was founded in 1904 to enshrine the relics and a gilt-bronze Buddha statue. The temple complex was completed in 1914.

Nittai-ji is a non-sectarian independent temple jointly established by several Buddhist schools. Today 19 schools take part, and the head priests of each school serve as chief priest in turn, changing every three years. The training hall on the north side of the grounds is a specialist monastery run by the Soto school. The grounds have shrunk from about 100,000 tsubo at the founding to about 40,000 tsubo today.

The heart of the grounds is the main hall, completed in 1984, designed by Uozu Tsuneyoshi and built by Takenaka Corporation. Paintings by Takayama Tatsuo hang beside the principal image. The five-story pagoda, built in 1997, is 30 meters tall and modeled on the pagoda of Rurikoji Temple in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Hoan-to (relic shrine), built in 1918 and designed by the architect Ito Chuta with Gandhara-style features, holds the genuine relics. It is a cultural property of Aichi Prefecture, but it is not open to visitors. A statue of Rama V also stands in the grounds.

The 21st of every month is the temple's fair day (ennichi). Annual events include Nehan-e on March 15, Kanbutsu-e (the Flower Festival) on April 8, the Hoan commemorative service on June 15, Urabon-e in August, Higan-e in spring and autumn and Jodo-e on December 8, and on October 23 a memorial service for King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) is held under the auspices of the Royal Thai Embassy. Some services, such as Nehan-e, the Hoan commemorative service and the memorial service for the King, are not open to the general public.

The temple is within walking distance of Kakuozan Station on the Higashiyama subway line, so it is easy to reach from central Nagoya. It is customary for the Thai ambassador to Japan to visit the statue of Rama V in the grounds on his birthday.