Hase-dera, also known as the “Temple of Flowers,” is a temple that is colored with various flowers throughout the year.  Cherry blossoms and rhododendrons bloom in spring, hydrangeas and lotuses in summer, red leaves and osmanthus in autumn, and flowers such as cold peony, sasanqua, and winter sweet in winter.  Among them, the most representative one is the peonies that reach their peak in spring, which is the reason for the name “Hana-no-Otera”.  Hase-dera, also called Hatsuse-dera, is located halfway up Mt. Hatsuse (Sakurai City) and is said to have been founded in the early 8th century in the Nara period, but the exact date and circumstances are unknown.  It is a temple located at 34 degrees 32 minutes north latitude that was introduced in 1980 as the “Path of the Sun” in an NHK TV special, “Unknown Ancient Times: Mysterious 34 degrees 32 minutes north latitude” and is believed to have been a sacred place for ancient religions before the arrival of Buddhism.

「花の御寺」と呼ばれる長谷寺は一年中さまざまな花に彩られるお寺です。春は桜やシャクナゲ、夏はアジサイやハス、秋は紅葉やキンモクセイ、冬は寒牡丹やサザンカ、ロウバイなどの花々が咲き誇ります。なかでも最も代表的なのが春に見頃を迎える牡丹で、花の御寺」の所以にもなりました。長谷寺は初瀬寺(はつせでら)ともいわれるように、初瀬山（桜井市）の中腹に位置し、創建は奈良時代、８世紀前半とされていますが、詳しい時期や事情は不明です。1980年にテレビのNHK特集「知られざる古代～謎の北緯34度32分をゆく」で『太陽の道』として紹介された北緯34度32分に位置する寺で、仏教渡来前からの古代宗教の聖地であったと思われます。