SHIMOKITAYAMA, Nara Prefecture A massive landslide here on Dec. 23 that buried a section of a national highway and more than one vehicle followed a previous one in May and occurred before delayed slope repairs could start.
SHIMOKITAYAMA, Nara Prefecture A landslide on a national highway in Nara Prefecture likely buried several vehicles under tons of debris, authorities said, as search operations had to be temporarily interrupted due to fears of a secondary disaster.
Among murals kept at the treasure house are the large No. 10 painting, left, which shows the Bhaisajyaguru Pure Land; the smaller No. 11 Samantabhadra picture, center; and the No. 12 11-face Kannon mural. (Provided by Horyuji temple)
IKARUGA, Nara Prefecture A lucky few will get an exclusive viewing of fire-damaged murals that are set to go on limited display at Horyuji temple here.
The murals are called one of Asia s most significant Buddhist art treasures.
A total of 500 people who make donations of 10,000 yen ($90) to a crowdfunding campaign will be invited to see the murals at the temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in November.
Traditional court music and dancing are performed in the west precinct of Horyuji temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, on April 3 during a memorial service to mark the 1,400th anniversary of Prince Shotoku s death. (Takaharu Yagi)
IKARUGA, Nara Prefecture A memorial service to mark the 1,400th anniversary of the death of Prince Shotoku, a reformer in his time who steered the nation toward Buddhism, kicked off at Horyuji temple here on April 3.
The 450 or so guests invited to attend the three-day service all wore face masks as a precaution against infection from the novel coronavirus.
This year s ceremony was on a scale held only once every 100 years.