Japanese-English Photo Glossary Index

(o)tera Listen to the term in Japanese! or -dera

link to larger picture
Amido-dou at Hase-dera, Kamakura
Photo by Linda Freeman, July 6, 2003

Buddhist temple

character for "tera," "dera," and "ji"

The above character can be pronounced (o)tera, dera, or ji, with ji being the on (Chinese) pronunciation. The suffix -dou means hall or temple while the suffix -in refers to a large building, a sub-temple, or the main temple (headquarters) of a sect.

A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters
Kenneth G. Henshall

Photo Glossary ~ Japanese-English Photo Glossary Index