Natsumi temple ruins
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The former Natsumi Temple (夏見廃寺, Natsumi-haiji) was a Buddhist temple complex during the Nara period in the city of Nabari, Mie, Japan. It was allegedly built under a vow of Princess Ōku in remembrance of her dead father, Emperor Tenmu. The structures were burned at the end of the 10th century, but the foundations were found through excavations funded by Kyoto University in May 1946. Today, the site of this temple is a part of Nabari City Central Park. The foundations of the main hall, a pagoda, a lecture hall, and surrounding buildings are preserved.
Investigation makes it clear that Natsumi Temple's main hall had the same design as that of Asuka's Yamada-dera, which was one of the period's major temples. It has been inferred that this similarity indicates that the priests of this temple maintained good connections with the central government. The Exhibition Hall near the site displays and explains the articles recovered at the site and the molded Buddhas, with which it is said the main hall was decorated.