Tennei-ji Temple
天念寺
Ancient temple built into a cliff, offering hiking trails and a unique festival.
What it is
- Ancient wooden temple built into a cliff face.
- Founded in the Heian period (794–1185).
- Was a center for shugendo, ascetic Buddhist monk training.
- Shares space with a Shinto shrine.
What to see
- Temple built into a cliff wall.
- Buddhist Temple Lecture Hall.
- Shinto shrine behind a torii gate.
- Trails used by monks, now for hikers and pilgrims.
When to go
- Shujo Oni-e festival on the seventh day of the old calendar.
- Festival usually takes place in February.
In detail
This ancient wooden temple is literally built into the face of a cliff wall. For hundreds of years after its construction in the Heian period (794–1185), it was a center for shugendo, arduous training for ascetic Buddhist monks in search of enlightenment. The trails they used in their regimen crisscross the hills and valleys of this peninsula and are a favorite of hikers and pilgrims. The Buddhist Temple Lecture Hall (on the left) shares space with a Shinto shrine (behind the torii gate on the right), an example of the coexistence of Buddhism and Shinto that was characteristic of this area. A spirited traditional festival called Shujo Oni-e, held at the temple on the seventh day of the old calendar (usually in February), illustrates how the two religions sometimes shared more than space. The exuberant main event features a pair of dancing masked oni (the ogres of ancient Japan), wielding torches and flinging sparks over the crowd of attendees. While ferocious in appearance, the oni are actually reincarnated Buddhas, welcomed in to chase away evil and bring good luck and prosperity to those fortunate enough to be touched by the sparks.
Text: 観光庁 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース. Reproduced unchanged. The notes above were written from that text by Japan Gems.
Where it is
大分県豊後高田市長岩屋1152 Open in Google Maps
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