Onsenji Temple, Hyogo

Onsenji Temple stands as the spiritual guardian of Kinosaki Onsen in Toyooka City, Hyōgo Prefecture. According to legend, the temple was founded in 738 by the Buddhist priest Dōchi Shōnin, the founder of Kinosaki Onsen, while the mountain and temple names were chosen by Emperor Shōmu. Legend tells that Dōchi Shōnin received a vision instructing him to pray for 1,000 days without eating, drinking, or sleeping, and on his 1,000th day of prayer, Kinosaki's hot spring waters miraculously sprung up from beneath the earth. The temple became officially designated as the guardian temple of the hot springs by imperial decree.

The temple's main hall holds exceptional cultural value. Built in the early Muromachi Period, it is the oldest wooden structure in Tajima and is designated an Important National Cultural Property. The temple's principal treasure is a two-meter-tall, eleven-headed Kannon Buddha which is displayed to the public in its entirety only once every 33 years for a period of three years (the next time will be from the year 2054). The statue is carved from a single piece of Japanese cypress and is a masterpiece among Tajima's Buddhist statues. The temple also houses a Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva of Mercy, which originally had 1,000 arms individually carved but now has 834 arms remaining due to wear and tear.

Visitors experience a deeply rooted tradition at Onsenji Temple. In ancient times, people suffering from bodily ailments would first visit Onsenji Temple and pray before entering the healing hot springs. They would receive a "yu-shaku," or hot spring ladle that would serve as an entry ticket to the hot springs. Those who found relief or cure would leave their canes and mobility aids at the temple altar as proof of healing. These items remain on display today. The temple's location midway up Mount Daishi provides views overlooking the hot spring town below.

The temple's gate and the ropeway's lower station are located at the western end of the town, near the Kono-yu public bath house, about a 20 minute walk from Kinosaki Station. The main hall can be reached by walking up a steep, forested path for about 15-20 minutes or by taking the Kinosaki Ropeway to the intermediate Onsenji station. Admission costs 300 JPY for the temple alone or 400 JPY for both the temple and the adjacent Onsenji Treasure Museum. English information materials are provided with admission, and English-speaking guides may be available.