The Taima-ji temple is situated in the southern part of Nara prefecture. This temple is thought to have been founded in the 7^
century. At that time, the Fujiwara capital, the Yakushi-ji temple and the Taigantaiji temple were built by the government, but unlike these, the Taima-ji temple was built privately. Its main buildings are the Kondo, Mandarado, and two stupas. An image of Maitreya Buddha made of clay is seated in the Kondo, and this is an early example of the use of clay. This technique was imported by Chinese T'ang dynastic technologists. The Taima clan provided the chief priest for funeral ceremonies and, more importantly, the writer of the funeral orations. Mount Futagami lies to the west of Taima-ji temple. Its summit resembles the Bactrain Camel and with the evening sun setting behind, ancient Japanese no doubt imagined it to be the "faster gate" to the Buddhist paradise. The Mandarado was constructed to the west of the temple and housed the painting of the Amitabha Buddhist paradise, one of the best examples of such a painting in Japan. It was produced in about the latter half of the 8^
century. I consider these monuments from the point of view of Buddhist culture, and not merely as Japanese Buddhist art but also as Chinese, central Asiatic, Indian and western Asiatic art. I focus on the problem of the cave temples painting and the image of Maitreya Bodhisattva, the Maitreya Buddha image and Amitabha Buddha in the 7^
-8^
century in Japan. The worship of Maitreya and Amitabha is of particular interest to me, and I feel that Taima-ji temple contains the best samples of art connected with Buddhist worship from Maitreya Buddha to Amitabha. Buddha.
