Takabatake Paths: From Byakugo-ji Temple to Kasuga-taisha Shrine via Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple and the Former Shiga Naoya Residence

Start walking from Byakugo-ji Temple, set on high ground overlooking the town of Nara, and come face-to-face with the Twelve Heavenly Generals at Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple. After visiting the home where Shiga Naoya once lived, pass through the woods of the Whispering Path—a route Shiga also walked—to Kasuga-taisha Shrine. This course explores the town of Takabatake, which served as a base for writers and artists.

History and Regional Charm

This course leads from the foot of Mt. Takamado, which connects to the south of Mt. Kasuga, through the town of Takabatake toward the woods of Kasuga-taisha Shrine. Takabatake corresponds to the former temple grounds of Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple, which covered a large area during the Nara period, and it is also a place where priests of Kasuga Shrine long maintained their residences.

Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple was founded in 747 by Empress Komyo with prayers for the recovery of Emperor Shomu from illness. The main golden hall from the time of its founding collapsed in a severe storm in 962, and today the temple centers on its Nara-period main hall. A legend remains that Byakugo-ji Temple was built on the site of a mountain villa belonging to Prince Shiki, a son of Emperor Tenji. Mt. Takamado is a mountain associated with numerous poems in the Man'yoshu.

From the Taisho period to the early Showa period, many literary figures and artists made this town a base for their activities. The novelist Shiga Naoya lived with his family for nine years from 1929 in a house he designed himself, and it was here that he completed his only full-length novel, A Dark Night's Passing (An'ya Koro). Many cultural figures gathered here, including Mushanokoji Saneatsu and Umehara Ryuzaburo, and the home came to be called the "Takabatake Salon."

Key Highlights

• ​Byakugo-ji Temple​​: A temple located on high ground at the western foot of Mt. Takamado, offering a sweeping view of the Nara Basin from the grounds. The treasure house enshrines eight Buddhist statues designated as Important Cultural Properties, including the principal image of the seated Amida Nyorai and a seated statue of King Enma. The temple features an old tree of the Five-Color Camellia, one of Nara's Three Famous Camellias, and in autumn, bush clover blossoms color the stone stairways of the approach.
• ​Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple​​: Inside the main hall, a National Treasure building from the Nara period, sits a large circular platform where the 1.91-meter-tall seated Yakushi Nyorai principal image rests. Surrounding the principal image, standing clay statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals face outward. Said to be the oldest and among the largest statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals in Japan, all but one date from the Tenpyo era; that one is a replacement made in the Showa period.
• ​Former Shiga Naoya Residence​​: Completed in 1929 by Kyoto sukiya master carpenter Shimojima Matsunosuke, this building is a Tangible Cultural Property designated by Nara Prefecture. The heart of the main building (omoya) consists of the dining room and sunroom in the south wing, incorporating modern Western-style designs based on traditional sukiya-zukuri architecture. Visitors can also view the study where he finished writing A Dark Night's Passing.
• ​Kasuga-taisha Shrine​​: The head shrine of approximately 3,000 Kasuga shrines across Japan. The sacred precinct, including the divine mountain, is a World Heritage site, with vermilion-lacquered shrine buildings nestled in the forest. Within the grounds are roughly 3,000 lanterns that have been dedicated since the Heian period, and the South Gate (Nanmon), entered from the main approach (omotesando), is the largest two-story gate at Kasuga-taisha Shrine, standing 12 meters high.

Recommended Route and Duration

The recommended time is about 4 hours, covering a walking distance of approximately 3 kilometers. From either JR Nara Station or Kintetsu-Nara Station, take a city loop bus, get off at "Takabatakecho," and walk for about 20 minutes to reach Byakugo-ji Temple. From the "Byakugoji" bus stop, it takes about 10 minutes, but buses are less frequent. Since the temple stands on high ground, the outbound journey will be uphill. If you are short on time, you may skip Byakugo-ji Temple, get off the bus at Wariishicho, and begin from Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple, which is about a 10-minute walk away.

After enjoying the view at Byakugo-ji Temple, head northwest for about 730 meters to Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple. There is an elevated slope along the way. In the main hall, slowly walk around the circular altar and compare the facial expressions of the 12 figures. Just to the southwest is the Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City.

About 300 meters northwest from Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple brings you to the Former Shiga Naoya Residence. After leaving the former residence, walk along the Shimo-no-Negi-michi path, which enters the forest of Kasuga-taisha Shrine. Also called the "Whispering Path" (Sasayaki-no-Komichi), it was a favorite walking path of Shiga Naoya. As one of the paths used by the priests (negi) of Kasuga Shrine to connect the Takabatake area with the shrine approach, it is a quiet trail lined with many asebi (Japanese andromeda) shrubs and dotted with large trees.

Upon emerging from the forest and reaching Kasuga-taisha Shrine, purify your hands and mouth at the deer-shaped water ablution pavilion beside Haraedo-jinja Shrine, and proceed to the main sanctuary (Gohonden). For the return trip, you can take a bus back to Nara Station from the Kasuga-taisha Honden bus stop. Buses bound for Kasuga-taisha Honden take about 11 to 15 minutes from JR and Kintetsu-Nara stations. Operations and timetables vary depending on the season, so please check before boarding.

Experience Summary

Look out over the town of Nara from a temple on high ground, face the gaze of the Tenpyo Twelve Heavenly Generals, peek into the dining room and sunroom of a home where literary figures gathered, and walk through the forested path trodden by a master writer. This is a half-day itinerary that connects temples, literature, and the forest on foot. When the vermilion buildings of Kasuga-taisha Shrine come into view, enjoy the contrast with the peaceful forest.