Senko-ji Temple
千光寺
An ancient temple on Kesa Mountain that houses more than 60 Enku Buddha wood carvings. The Five Cedars along the approach, about a thousand years old, are a natural monument.
Senko-ji sits on Kesa Mountain at about 900 meters above sea level in Niubugawa, Takayama. Legend links it to Ryomen Sukuna, a figure from Hida folklore, and it is an ancient temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect. The Enku Buddha treasure hall holds more than 60 statues carved by the wandering monk Enku during the Edo period. Their rustic forms, cut directly with axe strokes, are unique. In front of the temple, the Five Cedars grow from a single root into five trunks and are about a thousand years old. Admission to the treasure hall is about ¥500. It is about 30 minutes by car from central Takayama. The mountain road is narrow, and snow tires are needed in winter. Public transport is very limited.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00 (treasure hall approx. 09:00–16:30)
Nearby sights
- Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine & Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall
- Yoshijima Heritage House
- Kusakabe Folk Museum
- Higashiyama Walking Course
- Hida Takayama Showa-kan
- Takayama Museum of History and Art
- Miyagawa Morning Market
- Shiroyama Park (Takayama Castle Ruins)