Nittai-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Chikusa-ku, Japan
Nittai-ji is a Buddhist temple in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, housing a 15-meter granite stupa built in Gandhara style. The stone structure contains ashes of Buddha and stands within grounds that include traditional buildings and maintained gardens.
The complex was established in 1904 after King Chulalongkorn of Thailand sent sacred Buddha relics to Japan, aiming to strengthen Buddhist ties between the two nations. This gift marked an important moment in diplomatic relations between Thailand and Japan at the beginning of the 20th century.
The name combines "kakuō" (Enlightenment King), an epithet of the Buddha, with "nit" for Japan and "tai" for Thailand. Nineteen Buddhist sects take turns supplying the chief priest every three years, so rites may follow different traditions. On the 21st of each month about 100 stalls line the roughly 600-meter approach for the temple fair.
A monthly market takes place on the 21st of each month, when over 100 vendors set up on the grounds to sell their wares. The grounds are accessible year-round, with early morning hours often quieter than the afternoon.
The Thai ambassador's customary visit falls on the birthday of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who donated the relics, not on the ambassador's own birthday. A statue of the king, erected in 1987 for a century of Japan-Thailand friendship, stands in front of the Dharma hall, with Thai flowers planted by the Crown Prince that year.
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