Sakuramoto-bō Temple

Overview

Sakuramoto-bō is a temple of high rank in the Kinpusen Shugen sect, standing on Mount Yoshino in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. Written formally as 櫻本坊, its name is tied to the cherry blossoms for which Yoshino is famous. The main image is a seated figure of Jinben-daibosatsu, the deified form of En no Gyōja, founder of the Shugendō mountain-ascetic tradition. Set among Yoshino's celebrated peaks, it remains a place where the prayers of the yamabushi live on.

Highlights

• ●The seated main image of Jinben-daibosatsu, the deified En no Gyōja
• ●Its rank as one of the five guardian temples of Ōmine-san-ji
• ●A wealth of cultural properties earning it the name hall of yamabushi culture
• ●Views embraced by the cherry-blossom scenery of World Heritage Mount Yoshino

History

The temple has shared the long history of Shugendō centered on Yoshino and Mount Ōmine. It is counted among the five goji-in guardian temples that protect and pass down Ōmine-san-ji. Its principal image, Jinben-daibosatsu, represents En no Gyōja and has long been revered as a heart of yamabushi culture. Sakuramoto-bō is also one of the sacred sites on the En no Gyōja Reiseki pilgrimage. For detailed temple history, please refer to official sources.

Map

34.3612, 135.8637 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Walk the Yoshino pilgrimage road toward the temple gate of Sakuramoto-bō
2. 2Pay respects to the main image, Jinben-daibosatsu, and sense the Shugendō prayers
3. 3Take time to view the cultural properties that convey yamabushi culture
4. 4Continue to nearby sacred sites while gazing over the peaks of Yoshino

Did you know?

💡 Praised as a hall of yamabushi culture for the many cultural properties it preserves, the temple's formal name is written 櫻本坊. Its name is said to derive from the cherry trees that symbolize Yoshino, adding a poetic story to its setting among the blossoming peaks.

Nearby spots