Beautiful pale purple flowers spread across a tranquil landscape.

Moto-yakushi-ji Temple, located in the southeast of Kashihara City, Nara and was called the Yakushi-ji Temple of Fujiwara palace. Today, the temple has only a small hall, but the foundation stones of the Kondo, the upper platforms of the east and west pagodas, and the cornerstones of the pagoda are still visible in the forecourt. The view of Mount Unebi in the background is worthy of the ruins of a government temple that was started by the emperor.

The ruins is designated as a special national historic site, the area is covered with hotei-aoi. The pale, light purple hollyhocks are at their best from late August to late September. Hotei-aoi is a water plant and grows floating on the water surface. It blooms when the sun shines, wilts at night, and blooms again the next morning with new buds. From mid-September, Red Higanbana flowers also bloom with hotei-aoi. They create beautiful scenery together in the area. You can extend your trip to Kashihara-Jingu Shrine in 20-mins walk.