ABOUT
About this spot
Kinpusen-ji stands on Mt. Yoshino in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, famous for its cherry blossoms, and is the head temple of the Kinpusen Shugen sect. Tradition says En no Gyoja founded it in the 7th century, making it a foundational center of the mountain ascetic tradition of Shugendo. The Zao-do hall and Niomon gate were inscribed in 2004 in the World Heritage site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." The monk Shobo restored the temple in 894. The area, centered on the Zao-do halls of the upper and lower mountain, was said to be a great sacred site lined with well over a hundred subtemples. Prince Moriyoshi based himself at Yoshino during the Genko War, and Yoshino became the center of the Southern Court. The present Zao-do was rebuilt in 1590 with a donation from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Meiji separation of Shinto and Buddhism hit the temple hard; it was revived in 1886 and in 1952 took its present sect name. The highlight is the National Treasure Zao-do, a wooden hall 34 m high and 36 m wide and deep, among the largest in Japan. Its shrine holds three secret images of Zao Gongen, designated Important Cultural Properties; the central one is about 7 m tall. The bronze torii is the "gate of awakening" of the ascetic route, and the two-story Niomon (National Treasure) houses guardian figures attributed to the sculptor Yasunari (Important Cultural Properties). Near the hall stand the "Four Cherry Trees," where Prince Moriyoshi is said to have held his last banquet. On February 3 the Setsubun ceremony has mountain ascetics scattering beans. Cherry season in spring draws many visitors. Morning and evening services are open free of charge except during special openings. Allow about one hour for the hall and gate, or half a day with the Yoshino approach. From Osaka Abenobashi Station the limited express takes about 1 hour 15 minutes; the Yoshino ropeway helps with the climb. Nearby are Takatori Castle (about 7 km) and Ishibutai Kofun (about 11 km).
Last updated October 18, 2026