Temple Spots in Eastern Shinshu Area

  • Anrakuji Temple
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    4.5
    176 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Besshonsen 2361
    This Soto school Buddhist temple is located in Bessho Onsen in Ueda City. The oldest temple in Nagano Prefecture, it is also famous for its octagonal three-storied pagoda, a National Treasure. The pagoda is said to have been built in the Kamakura period and is the only original octagonal pagoda still standing in Japan. An entrance fee is required to view the pagoda interior. A 14-minute walk from Bessho-Onsen Station.

    Anrakuji, with its impressive wooden octagonal pagoda built in the Chinese Sung architectural style during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). The pagoda is the only example of its kind left in Japan...

  • Nunobiki Kannon Shakusonji Temple
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    4.5
    50 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Komoroshi Okubo 2250
    "This is the common name of Shakusonji Temple, a temple of the Tendai Sect of Buddhism located in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Famous as the birthplace of the legend of ""a cow led a woman to Zenkoji Temple,"" the temple is dedicated to Kannon Bodhisattva. The Kannondo Kuden is a nationally Important Cultural Property, and Hakusansha Shaden is a designated Prefectural Treasure. In addition, it is the 29th temple of the Shinano 33 Kannon Sacred Places, drawing visits by many worshippers."

    One of the spiritual center in Japan.the monk used to study here.one of the the temples here is on the cliff! U should check the pic.that is very unique even in Japan .must see. If u are lucky, u...

  • Zensanji Temple
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    4.0
    51 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Maeyama 300
    Zensanji Temple is said to have been initially opened in 812 as a sacred place where the monk Kukai is said to have honed his Homa ritual. The three-story “incomplete complete tower,” whose exact date of construction is not clear but is said to have been the beginning of the Muromachi period, is quite famous. You must try the temple’s famous homemade walnut bean cakes available in the temple kitchen reception room every year from the vernal equinox until around the end of November. It’s about a 30-minute drive from the Ueda Sugadaira Interchange on the Joshin-Etsu Expressway.

    結構きつい階段を上がります。でも頑張った甲斐のある建物が目の前に現れてホッとします。花の無い時期でしたが建物自体が美しいので十分楽しめました。

  • Joraku-ji Temple
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    4.0
    50 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Besshonsen 2347
    The head temple of the nearby Kitamuki-kannon Temple, this Buddhist temple was built as one of the three “raku-ji” temples (the Choraku-ji Temple, Anraku-ji Temple, and Joraku-ji Temple) in 825. During the Kamakura period, the temple flourished as a center of Tendai Buddhism. The temple’s principal object of worship, the “Wisdom of Observation Amitabha,” is considered an extremely rare example of its type found anywhere in the country. The Hon-do (main hall) has a rounded thatched roof; behind it stands a two-tier pagoda  that is registered as an Important Cultural Property and which is the spot where the Buddhist statue enshrined in the Kitamuki-kannon Temple in the back is said to have appeared. The Joraku-ji Temple Art Museum  on the grounds exhibits rare and valuable temple treasures such as the Tokugawa Ieyasu Nikka Nenbutsu prayer scroll; a figure of Avalokitesvara; and the Miuraya-zu painting, a National Art Treasure. Closest station: Bessho-Onsen Station.

    天台宗のお寺になります。一目見て茅葺の屋根が興味深く感じました。現在の建物は18世紀前半というのだから、随分と大切にされてきたのでしょうね。境内の奥には重要文化財の多宝塔も有ります。

  • Shinano Kokubunji Temple
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    4.0
    24 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Ueda-shi Kokubu 1049
    "A Buddhist temple located a five-minute walk from Shinano Railway Shinano-Kokubunji Station. The temple was originally founded in the Nara period and burned down during the strife of the Johei era, later being rebuilt at its current location in the Muromachi period. The grounds encompass a variety of buildings, including a main temple building enshrining a statue of Bhaisajyaguru. The temple's three tier pagoda, a designated National Important Cultural Property, is the oldest of the temple's pagodas. Also known as the Yokado, meaning ""eighth day temple,"" the temple's annual festival held on January 7 and 8 attracts large numbers of visitors. The temple's tower-shaped Somin Shorai talismans, said to grant familial peace, health, and prosperity, are a popular souvenir. The temple is additionally known as the ""Lotus Temple"" and the ""Lotus Field,"" and it holds a lotus festival in July."

    奈良時代の創建当時はここよりも南の方に有り、現在は史跡公園として整備されています。こちらのお寺は、真田と徳川との第二次合戦時に会見が行われたと小説や大河ドラマで良く描かれています。ただ真偽は不明で、江戸中期の軍記に初めて出てくるそうですね。三重の塔は重要文化財です。

  • Ichijozan Daiho-ji Temple
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    4.5
    17 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Chisagatagunaokimura Tougou 2052
    "Located around 25 minutes' drive from the Ueda-Sugadaira Interchange on the Joshin-Etsu Expressway, Ichijozan Daiho-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Tendai sect that was built in the Nara period (710-794), and which is one of the oldest temples in the Shinshu region. The temple's three-story pagoda, which was constructed in 1333, came to be known as the ""Looking Back Pagoda,"" because it is so beautiful that people leaving the temple after a visit can't help turning around to have a last look at the pagoda. There are many designated Important Cultural Properties in the temple, including the Zushi (miniature shrine), which is decorated with what are believed to be Japan's oldest Shachihoko (mythical animals with the head of a tiger and body of a carp, used as ornamentation on roofs). The temple's appearance changes with the seasons, with visitors being able to see plum blossom and cherry blossom in spring, azaleas in early summer, and autumn foliage in autumn. In summer, it is sometimes also possible to see Great Purple Emperor, which is the national butterfly of Japan. "

    奈良時代の創建の古刹、檜皮葺の三重塔は国宝です。紅葉や桜の季節の写真がよく使用されますが、緑の中のシルエットも良いです。重 日本最古とされる重文の鯱は晴れていないと見えないようですが無事見られました。同じく重文の須弥壇や厨子の他、羅漢像等見どころも多いです。

  • Chuzenji Temple
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    4.0
    15 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Maeyama 1721
    Chuzenji Temple was built nearly 800 years ago (toward the end of the Heian period), and it is said to be the oldest temple not only in Nagano Prefecture, but the entire Chubu and Kanto regions. It has been designated an Important Cultural Property (structure). It is surrounded by trees and has a calm atmosphere that lets you feel the history of the place.

    信州最古の木造建築の薬師堂があります。 正方形で四面とも三間の造り。茅葺屋根に宝珠がのっています。 歴史を感じる一方で、その対称性と屋根の丸みから可愛らしく感じてしまいます。 12月に行きましたが、枯芝に似合うお堂ですね。 周囲を1周できるのでいろんな角度から見られます。 裏のお墓エリアからちょっと俯瞰気味に見ることも。 薬師堂の反対側のわりと広めの枯山水や、本堂前のちょっとした石庭などもありおす...

  • Sentoji Temple
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    4.5
    7 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Kitasaku-gun Karuizawamachi Oiwake 1259
    "A Buddhist temple located in Oiwake, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku County, Nagano Prefecture. The temple was founded by the fifth head priest of the Sentouji Temple in Gunma Prefecture in 1598. The temple is in possession of the Toothache Jizo statue depicted in author Tatsuo Hori's story ""Juka,"" and a haiku monument dedicated to calligrapher Kokaku Inagaki as well as a mound in which some of his retired brushes were ritually buried in."

    追分宿にあります。かわいいお地蔵さんがたくさんいて、楽しめるお寺です。駐車場もありゆっくり散策できます。

  • Kitamuki-kannon Temple
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Besshonsen 1656
    This Buddhist temple was established in 825 by Ennin, the head priest of the Enryaku-ji Temple. The temple was frequently witness to fires and the current temple was rebuilt in 1721. Unusually for a temple in Japan, the main hall was built facing to the north, and it said that by worshipping here and at the south-facing Zenkoji Temple, one can achieve happiness both in this life and after one’s passing. The grounds contain a sacred katsura tree (Aizen Katsura) that is 1,200 years old and which is revered for the luck which brings in finding marriage. A 12-minute walk from Bessho-Onsen Station.
  • Shinrakuji Temple
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    5.0
    1 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Kitasaku-gun Miyotamachi Shiono 142
    A Buddhist temple located in Shiono, Miyota Town, Kitasaku County, Nagano Prefecture. Records state this ancient temple was founded in 586. It is believed that this is the place where Koga Saburo, a figure in a local Suwa legend concerning the origins of Suwa Taisha Shrine, returned from the depths of the earth as a dragon, and each year in July the temple holds a dragon enlightenment ceremony during the Shinshu Miyota Ryujin Matsuri festival.

    山号はちょっと安易におもえる浅間山。浅間南麓にあるからでしょうか? 正解は、用明天皇が浅間山噴火の鎮火のために建立したからでしょう。 歴史ある大きなお寺です。 町の天然記念物の神代杉があります。 江戸時代の火災で空洞化したスギの巨木です。 上部が失われていますが、横に別の幹が成長しています。 参道は木陰が涼しい杉並木や池が良い雰囲気です。 池には龍の銅像が首を出しています。 そのほか、弁慶の腰...

  • Arafune Shusse Fudoson Temple
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Sakushi Uchiyama Kuroda 1-1
    This Buddhist shrine in Uchiyama, Saku City sit on at the foot of the 1,423-meter-tall Mt. Arafune, which straddles the border between Nagano and Gunma prefectures. The deity it enshrines is believed to be the Buddhist monk Kukai. Many mountain climbers visit the shrine as it is located at the Mt. Arafune trailhead.
  • Chuzenji Temple Yakushido
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Ueda-shi Maeyama 1721
    A Yakushido Buddhist temple located on the grounds of the Chuzenji Temple situated at the foot of Mt. Tokko on the Shioda Plain a 30-minute drive from the Ueda-Sugadaira Interchange. Believed to have been established in the early Kamakura period, the thatch roof temple building is constructed in a style known as hogo-zukuri. Known as the oldest wooden structure in Nagano, the temple's principal object of worship, a seated figure of Bhaisajyaguru; and its statues depicting the divine generals have been designated National Important Cultural Properties. The statue of Bhaisajyaguru can be viewed through a latticework door. Visitors are allowed on the temple grounds from 9:00 to 16:00.
  • Zensanji Temple Three-Storied Pagoda
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Ueda-shi Maeyama 300 Mae Yamadera
    "A pagoda located on the grounds of the Zensanji Temple in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. When the pagoda was built is unclear, but based on its architecture, it is believed to have been erected in the Muromachi period. Featuring thatched roofs, the second and third tiers of the pagoda have no balustrades, windows, or doors and are obviously incomplete, but each of the tiers overlaps to create beautiful curves and the pagoda is topped with a stunning kurin finial, and the tower is also known as the ""unfinished finished pagoda."" The pagoda has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. The temple grounds are a renowned flower viewing destination and visitors can enjoy the sight of such seasonal flowers as cherry blossoms and wisteria."
  • Onsen Yakushi Ruriden
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Ueda-shi Bessho Onsen 1656 Facing North Kannon
    "A Yakushido Buddhist temple standing on the grounds of the Kitamuki Kannon Temple. The temple was built clinging to the side of a cliff. The temple's name means the ""lapis lazuli hall"" and is derived from a Japanese title for Bhaisajyaguru which translates to ""lapis lazuli light perfected one,"" and the temple is connected with folk beliefs in the miraculous curative powers of hot springs due to the area and Bhaisajyaguru's reputation as a healing deity. The temple was previously located on the west side of the Daishiyu but was moved to its current location and rebuilt in 1809 after a great flood on the Yu River in 1741."
  • Shinkoji Temple
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Sanadamachiosa 8100
    This temple is in Sanadamachiosa, Ueda City. Kosetsusai Daihakuji Temple is said to have been built in the Muromachi period, and the older brother of Masayuki Sanada (Yukimura Sanada’s father), Nobutsuna Sanada, transferred it to its current location, added several new buildings, and renamed it Daihakuzan Shinkoji Temple. After Nobutsuna’s death, Masayuki declared the area a memorial, and Nobutsuna’s wife’s tomb is still here.
  • Hasedera Temple
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Sanadamachiosa 4646
    Located in Sanadamachiosa, Ueda City, this temple was founded as the Sanada family temple by Yukitaka Sanada in 1547. After Yukitaka’s death, Yukimura Sanada’s father, Masayuki Sanada, expanded the temple; it was destroyed by Tokugawa clan after the Siege of Ueda in 1600. It was rebuilt and destroyed twice thereafter, and the current structure was built in 1978. The public Sanada tomb on the temple grounds contains the graves of Yukitaka Sanada and Masayuki Sanada, and some Sanada fans come to pay their respects.
  • Kaioin Temple
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    4.0
    7 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Komoro-shi Aramachi 1-6-5

    参道が緑の樹木に覆われたような5月の参拝は、とても気持ちの良いものでした。住宅地に囲まれていますが、なかなかの規模が有ります。創建は16世紀前半に遡ります。

  • Ryukoin Temple
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    3.5
    10 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Ueda-shi Maeyama 553

    前山寺に行く途中で大きなケアキがあったので立ち寄りました。 黒門から長い植え込みの登り坂参道があります。 なんとなく年季の入った寺を想像していましたが、境内までいくと結構綺麗であたらしい感じの瓦葺きのお堂がいくつかありました。 羅漢堂という八角堂が開帳されていました。

  • Kogakuji Temple
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    4.0
    9 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Komoro-shi Aramachi 1-3-4

    久松松平家の松平憲良が徳川家康公の母、お伝の方を弔うため建立されたお寺です。松平憲良にもお伝の方の血が流れています。最初は現在の千葉県野田市に創建され、大垣市ー>小諸市と移って来ました。山門も本堂も良い形をしています。

  • Teishoji Temple
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    4.5
    8 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Saku-shi Maeyama 1380-3

    大きなお寺で、山道の登り口から綺麗な苔の庭が広がります。 入口の左側には、島崎藤村が住んでいた建物もあります。 石の山道はくねくねと曲がり、やがて山門をくぐると、大きな本堂の前に出ます。 本堂を左に向かうとやや高まった所に、三重塔がそびえ立っています。 塔の4面には、鳥をあしらった彫刻が施されていて、見事です。それぞれ観察してみましたが、なぜか鳥のいない部分もあり、それが不思議でした。 さらに裏へ...

Nagano Areas

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Nagano prefecture is an exciting mix of mountains, hot spring monkeys, and preserved Edo history. At the heart of the Japanese Alps, Nagano is one of the country’s most popular destinations, whether in winter for its snow sports and the much-loved Jigokudani Monkey Park or in the warmer months for discovering the undulating hills on foot. For fantastic Edo architecture, head to the Kiso Valley for a 60-kilometer stretch of quaint wooden buildings that marked the Nakasendo route 200 years ago.

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