Mt. Takahata

The trip to Mt. Takahata was actually much more chill but the downslopes were very steep. I was actually worried if it was going to be like this the whole time cuz if so my knees were in trouble. It eventually leveled out and I was able to reach the nearby summit quite easily.

The next target was actually Nenogongen Tenryuji Temple, which I saw was on the way back to Agano station. After two mountains, my legs were feeling it a bit, but this temple was actually above by a hundred or so more meters and after going down Mt. Takahata, to think I was going back up again was really something. The inclines were really steep. I was thinking to myself that this temple better be worth it cuz it was making me work really hard for it.

The short answer: It was. From the distance, as I passed through more shrines, I could hear the sound of a bell reverberating across the woods. It meant I was really getting close. As I approached the temple grounds, I was struck to see giant orange-colored statues of Agyo and Ungyo, guardians of Buddha. So was this a Buddhist temple? Yet I saw the familiar water basin and a dragon spout so was it a Shinto temple? It was actually both, I love Japan's religious syncretism. The temple complex was pretty huge, the main temple had stone shishis guarding it and to the right stood Kannon with a tiny Ebisu at her lower right side. The sides had two pairs of giant Buddha slippers. Continuing on passing through a couple of smaller shinto shrines, there was a shrine for Jizo and above the hill stood a smaller statue of Kannon and a giant bell that I rang for blessings.

The way down back to Agano was a much more simpler one, I felt so energized after visiting such an amazing temple. Who would have thought that there was such a grand temple tucked away deep in the mountains?Read more