Sukumadani Kannon 救馬渓観音

Official explanation

Sukumadani Kannon is a temple on top of a small mountain. It was established by En no Gyoja (634–706 CE), the founder of Shugendo, a folk religion based in mountain worship that involves ascetic practices. En no Gyoja and other practitioners abandoned village life to settle in a cave here, where they practiced Shugendo. En no Gyoja is believed to have lived in this cave for more than 30 years.

The temple was built around the mountain’s rock formations, incorporating them into its structure. Although it has its roots in Shugendo, the temple is now Buddhist. A number of Shinto shrines are also within the precinct. These remain from the Edo period (1603–1868), before Buddhism and Shintoism were formally separated as part of nationwide reforms carried out during the Meiji era (1868–1912).

Read the full explanation

The Buddhist deity Bato (Horse-Headed) Kannon is enshrined here. The Bato Kannon bodhisattva is considered a protector of animals and is also worshipped to ward off misfortune.

A small Shinto shrine on the grounds of the temple, next to a rock face on the mountain, is worshipped for the unusual shape in the rock’s honeycomb-like weathering. The rock displays a naturally occurring upside-down heart which, in Shinto, is known as a “boar’s eye” and is considered lucky.

The gardens surrounding the temple and shrines are planted with hydrangeas, cherry trees, and maples.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.