Cultural Assets－Temples and Shrines

This ancient temple is said to have been founded by En no Gyoja and constructed at the order of Emperor Jomei in the 7th century. It’s also believed to be the birthplace of En no Gyoja. Its name derives from the tradition that En no Gyoja used a grass known as kisshoso to build a hut at the site. The temple’s precincts include an ancient well from which En no Gyoja’s first bath is said to have been drawn and a stone on which he sat during meditation. The Gyoja-do enshrines a statue of a 32-year old En no Gyoja believed to have been carved by himself and a statue of Shiratoume, his mother.
Chihara Otondo is a ritual held here each January 14, which has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Nara Prefecture. It is said to have begun when the villagers of Chihara lit gigantic torches to celebrate the return of En no Gyoja, who had been banished after being falsely accused.