Darumaji, which belongs to the Nanzenji branch of Rinzai Zen tradition, is located southeast of Oji Station, the last station on both the JR Yamato and Kintetsu Ikoma lines (Kita Katsuragi-gun, Oji-machi Honmachi 2-1-40).

　The temple appears in the Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan) entry for December of the 21st year of the reign of Emperor Suiko (613), and in the later legend (from late-Heian to early Kamakura-times) of the starving man met by Shotoku Taishi at Kataoka who turns out to be none other than Daruma Taishi (Bodhidharma). The temple has also drawn attention in recent years due to the fact that a stone Hokyoin pagoda was excavated from below the main hall.
　Nearby are found the Hokoji temple, which now belongs to the Obaku Zen sect, but is said to have been an ancient temple that was founded by Shotoku Taishi, and the site of Kataoka Jinja, a shrine that protected the temple.

　The Stone Column Recording the Revival of Darumaji (Jp. Darumaji Chukoki Sekido), which has been designated an Important Cultural Property, is dated Bun'an 5 (1448). It indicates that the temple received the support of the Muromachi bakufu and had undergone a large-scale renovation. The temple also possesses two additional Important Cultural Properties, a wooden statute of a seated Shotoku Taishi, dated Kenji 3 (1277), and a wooden seated Daruma from Eikyo 2 (1430).

　Visible-light and infrared photographs of the Kenpon chakushoku Butsu nehan zu (Color on Silk Painting of Buddha's Nirvana) linked for comparison can be accessed at this homepage.

　Please click on Color on Silk Painting of Buddha's Nirvana to view the images.

中興記石幢（重要文化財）
Chukoki Sekido(Important Cultural Property)

絹本著色仏涅槃図
Color on Silk Painting of Buddha's Nirvanaけんぽんちゃくしょくぶつねはんず

A Guide to Darumaji
Location	Nara-ken, Kita-Katsuragi-gun, Oji-cho, Honmachi 2-1-40
Access	15 minutes on foot from Oji Station on the JR Yamato Line, or take the bus bound for Myojin Itchome, Hakuhodai Ni-chome and get off at the Harii bus stop.
Hours	The temple grounds are open around the clock and the main hall is open from 9:00 am to sundown.
Cost	Admission to main hall, ￥100
Parking	Ten parking places (free of charge)
Inquiries	0745-31-2341