Bus

Nariaiji
Temple

Nariaiji temple, the 28th temple of the 33 Temples of Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, was founded by the order of the Emperor Monmu in 704. This temple has a long history or tradition and possesses numerous cultural properties and it’s principal image is Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu (Avalokitesvara-bodhisattva) . It’s surroundings are rich in nature. In spring, rhododendrons are beautiful, and in autumn, the changing leaves are wonderful. The combination of this temple’s Five-Storied pagoda and autumn foliage is very photogenic!
You can get there by “Nariai Mountain Bus” operated by us. The view from the windows of the bus, which follows the steep mountain ridges is also fantastic! We hope you visit.
The bus stop is in the Amanohashidate-kasamatsu Park and the ride time is about 7 minutes. The panoramic viewing platform, about 5 minutes by car or about 25 minutes on foot from the Nariaiji temple parking lot, is also recommended! Please refer to this link.

Origin of the name Nariaiji temple

From “Konjaku Monogatari-shu” (Japanese Tales from Times Past)
A monk was training hard at a hermitage in the snow-covered mountains. The snow was getting deeper and the villagers stopped visiting there so the food was exhausted and he was on the verge of starvation. The monk foresaw his own death and prayed to the principal image, Kannon (The Goddess of Mercy), “Please bless me with food to survive just a day today.” Then, he didn’t know if it was a dream or reality, but he noticed that a wild boar (or a deer) hurt by a wolf had fallen outside the hermitage. The monk was religiously prohibited from eating meat. He had a hard time deciding, but he thought there was nothing more precious than life so he picked the meat off the left and right thighs of the wild boar, put it in a pot, boiled and eat.