This temple unfolds below a tall cliff face, with the striking centerpiece of the crimson Hall of Bishamon standing directly against the stone, concealing a cave where holy relics are kept secreted away. Takkoku was first founded over 1,200 years ago, when the imperial commander Sakanoue no Tamuramaro defeated an Emishi army (the indigenous people of northern Japan) at their stronghold here. Sakanoue then commissioned the temple, dedicating it to Bishamon, god of victory.

Though the original temple was lost to fire long ago, the current structure was rebuilt in 1961, modeled after Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple. Out of the recorded 108 statues of Bishamon enshrined here at the temple’s founding, 33 survive today, though they are only displayed on rare ceremonial occasions.

(Designated a national historic site by the Japanese government)

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