- Culture
- Nara
Shigisan Chogosonshi-ji Temple
A power spot with a huge paper tiger to welcome visitors: A place to pray for good fortune overlooking the Yamato Plain
Shigisan Chogosonshi-ji Temple sits on the 437-meter-high Mount Shigi in Nara Prefecture. It was established over 1,400 years ago by Prince Shotoku and enshrines Bishamonten, the god of good fortune. It is believed that after the prince was taught the secrets of victory in battle by Bishamonten, who appeared at the hour of the tiger, on the day of the tiger, in the year of the tiger, he was able to defeat enemies and establish a foundation to spread Buddhism. This is why tigers are the symbolic guardians of this temple, and you can spot paper tigers throughout the temple grounds.
Chogosonshi-ji Temple Main Hall
The Main Hall of Chogosonshi-ji Temple is a building with orange-painted fences constructed on a hill and supported from underneath by long pillars. The wooden platform here offers a stunning panoramic view of the mountains and towns in the Ikaruga region, and you can also see a beautiful sunrise from here. Kaidan-meguri is also definitely something you need to experience in this hall. If you walk through the pitch-black corridor in the basement by feeling the right wall with your right hand and manage to find and touch the big iron lock, it is believed that your wishes will come true.
Immerse yourself in a unique Japanese cultural experience at the temple accommodation facility
Jofuku-in, Senju-in and Gyokuso-in in Mount Shigi are popular temple accommodation places fully equipped with facilities for training and sleepovers that also serve Buddhist cuisine. They also offer a variety of activities to experience authentic monk training, such as sutra copying, zazen (seated meditation) and fire rituals in the morning. Another very attractive feature of the experience is the wonderfully serene atmosphere in which you can relax and enjoy the surrounding seasonal natural beauty, far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. At night, stone lanterns on the temple grounds are lit to make the ambience even more special. It gives you the perfect opportunity for self-reflection.
Location
| Name | Shigisan Chogosonshi-ji Temple |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.sigisan.or.jp/english.html |
| Address | 2280-1 Shigisan, Heguri-cho, Ikoma-gun, Nara |
| Access | Weekdays: From Kintetsu Shigisanshita Station, take a bus, get off at Shigiohashi bus stop and walk for approximately 5 minutes. Weekends and national holidays: From Kintetsu Shigisanshita Station, take a bus, get off at Shigisan bus stop and walk for approximately 10 minutes. From JR or Kintetsu Oji Station, take a bus, get off at Shigiohashi bus stop and walk for approximately 5 minutes. |
| Business Hours | 9:00 to 16:30 (Last admission at 16:00) |
| Inquiries | TEL: 0745-72-2277 |