Onshoji Temple is a Nichiren Buddhist temple located in Yamamuro, Takato Town, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Myōchōzan. Known for centuries as the “Peony Temple,” Onshoji is especially beautiful from around mid-May to early June, when approximately 2,000 peony plants representing 180 varieties bloom throughout the grounds.
The temple becomes filled with the fragrance and colors of the flowers, creating a peaceful setting where visitors can enjoy both the beauty of nature and the quiet atmosphere of a historic mountain temple.
According to temple tradition, the origins of Onshoji can be traced back to the early Heian period. In 820, the Buddhist priest Saicho, also known as Dengyo Daishi, is said to have visited the Ina Valley while spreading Buddhist teachings in eastern Japan.
According to the tradition, Saicho stopped at this location and established a Yakushido, or hall dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, at approximately the site of today’s Shakado. The tradition is supported by a roof-batten discovered in the building, bearing an ink inscription referring to the construction of a Yakushido in 820.
In 1233, the temple developed as a Tendai Buddhist temple known as Tenpukuji. However, its buildings were destroyed by fire in 1461.
In 1473, Nichicho, the 11th head priest of Kuonji Temple on Mount Minobu, visited the area. A Tendai Buddhist priest who studied under him converted to Nichiren Buddhism, received the Buddhist name Nichiyo, and became the first head priest of Onshoji.
From this time, Myōchōzan Onshoji was regarded as having Nichicho as its founding priest, marking the beginning of the temple’s history as a Nichiren Buddhist temple.
In 2019, an investigation conducted as part of a survey of historic sites by the Nichiren Buddhist denomination formally recognized Onshoji’s Shakado as the oldest Hokke-do, or Lotus Sutra hall, in the denomination. The entire temple grounds were subsequently designated as a religious historic site of the Nichiren denomination.
This recognition reflects the exceptional historical importance of Onshoji within the history of Japanese Buddhism.
The temple’s Shakado Hall was designated as a former National Treasure in 1930, a status corresponding to today’s designation as an Important Cultural Property.
The building has a three-bay square plan, a single story, and an irimoya-zukuri hipped-and-gabled roof with a one-bay projecting worship porch. Facing west, the structure preserves distinctive characteristics of late Muromachi-period architecture.
The hall was long believed to have been constructed in 1538. More recent research, however, has established that it was built sometime between 1474 and 1495, making it considerably older than previously thought.
Inside the hall stands a small Tahoto pagoda dating to 1502. It is renowned as the oldest Tahoto pagoda in Nagano Prefecture, and its intricate carvings and surviving colors provide a remarkable glimpse into the craftsmanship of the period.
The temple grounds contain several other cultural assets. Shichimendo, a hall built in 1506, preserves a beautiful painted ceiling from the Edo period.
Historic objects such as a waniguchi temple gong and a jin-daiko war drum also survive at the temple, providing tangible connections to the history of the Warring States period.
Onshoji is also known for its Japanese garden, Tsuru-Kame Gassho, or “Prayer,” Garden, which has been designated as a Scenic Place by Ina City.
The garden reflects the Enshu-style of landscape design associated with the early Edo period. A tortoise island symbolizing the sacred Mount Horai and stone arrangements representing cranes are carefully positioned within the garden.
In 1990, landscape designer Motoi Oguchi renovated the garden, drawing inspiration from the garden of Konchi-in Temple at Nanzenji in Kyoto. It was redesigned as a dry landscape garden, or karesansui, and is now regarded as one of the notable Japanese gardens in Nagano Prefecture.
In 2020, Onshoji marked approximately 1,200 years since the establishment of the original Yakushido. Alongside its long-standing theme of “Joining our hands in prayer for life,” the temple adopted a new vision of “creating a beautiful temple in a beautiful mountain village.”
Through the maintenance of the grounds, preservation of cultural properties, and interaction with the local community, Onshoji continues to develop not only as a place of Buddhist worship but also as an open temple where people can gather, communicate, and share experiences.
Peonies are one of the defining symbols of Onshoji. Each spring, the temple grounds gradually come alive with colorful blooms, reaching their peak in May.
The annual Peony Festival takes place during the flowering season, attracting many visitors. Red, white, purple, and other colorful blossoms fill the temple grounds, creating a striking contrast with the quiet atmosphere of the historic mountain temple.
The combination of flowers, traditional architecture, and a peaceful natural setting has made Onshoji increasingly well known both within and beyond Nagano Prefecture as a place where flowers and Buddhist heritage meet.
Onshoji Temple brings together more than twelve centuries of religious tradition, remarkable historic architecture, beautiful gardens, and the seasonal beauty of its famous peonies.
The Shakado and small Tahoto pagoda offer valuable insights into the history of Japanese Buddhist architecture, while the garden provides a tranquil place to appreciate traditional landscape design. In spring, the approximately 2,000 peonies add another dimension to the experience, filling the historic grounds with color and fragrance.
For travelers exploring Takato and the Ina Valley, Onshoji offers a peaceful opportunity to step away from the main tourist routes and encounter the long history, culture, and natural beauty of this mountain region of Nagano.