Tsugane-ji

Keijitsu-zan Tsugane-ji, nestled in the mountains of Tashina Town, Nagano Prefecture, was once counted among the Five Great Tendai Temples of Shinano Province. Temple tradition holds that it was founded by the monk Gyoki in 702 CE, after which it developed as a Tendai Buddhist temple. Its principal image is the Sacred Kannon, and a unique culture of prayer blending mountain worship and Buddhism took root here. The precincts preserve the Shigeno clan pagoda, designated a Nagano Prefectural Treasure, along with the Kannon-do hall, Nio statues, and Myoken-do shrine, bearing witness to centuries of history. In mountain silence, this sacred site continues to shine as a place of faith preserved through generations.