Hasedera Temple, located in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, is the head temple of the Shingon Buzan school. With Eleven-Faced Kannon as its principal deity, it attracts believers as a fudasho (pilgrimage temple) of the Saigoku Sanjusansho Kannon Reijo. Affectionately called "Hana no Mitera" (Flower Temple), the grounds are colored by flowers throughout the seasons. It is also famous as a cherry blossom spot. From late March to late April, various types of cherry blossoms—Yoshino cherry, mountain cherry, weeping cherry, kanhizakura, gyoiko, beni-shidare, Nara double-flowered cherry, and more—bloom in profusion, dyeing the area in spring colors. The weeping cherry at the site of the hermitage of Emperor Komyo of the Northern Court is worth seeing.
