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Asuka-dera

596 · 6th century · Also known as Hōkō-ji, Asukadera

Asuka-dera is a Buddhist temple in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, and one of the oldest in Japan. It was founded by Soga no Umako and completed around 596, built with the help of craftsmen, tile-makers and monks sent from Baekje. Its great bronze Buddha, the Asuka Daibutsu, cast in the early seventh century, is often described as the oldest surviving Buddhist statue in Japan.

Asuka-dera
Image: Saigen Jiro · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

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BaekjeImpact

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Asuka-dera. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/asuka-dera
MLA
“Asuka-dera.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/asuka-dera. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Asuka-dera.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/asuka-dera.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Asuka-dera’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/asuka-dera (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻