Ruriji Temple is a historic Tendai Buddhist temple in Takamori Town, Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Daishozan, and its formal name is Ioin. Founded in 1112 during the Heian period, the temple has more than 900 years of history and has long been an important center of faith and culture in the Ina Valley.
The temple’s principal Buddhist image is a group of three wooden statues known as the Yakushi Nyorai Triad, consisting of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing, accompanied by Nikko and Gakko Bodhisattvas. The statues were created in the late Heian period and are designated as National Important Cultural Properties.
Surrounded by quiet forests and mountains, Ruriji is also associated with some of the most famous figures in Japanese history, including Minamoto no Yoritomo, Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The temple’s long history of patronage reflects its importance as a sacred site in southern Nagano.
The origins of Ruriji date to 1112. According to temple tradition, the monk Kanyo Sozu of Chikurin-in Temple on Mount Hiei traveled to this region to spread Buddhist teachings.
While visiting the area, he is said to have encountered a miraculous vision of Yakushi Nyorai shining among the trees at a place called Ainohora on Mount Nio. Deeply moved by the experience, he established a temple at the site.
The original temple grounds were located approximately 2 kilometers upstream from the present temple, at a place known as Dodokoro. Farther upstream is Fudo Falls, where Kanyo is traditionally said to have enshrined Fudo Myoo. The waterfall remains known as the inner sanctuary of Ruriji and continues to be regarded as a sacred place.
A few decades after its foundation, Ruriji temporarily became unoccupied. In 1184, however, the monk Hojo Shonin arrived from Mount Hiei and began restoring the deteriorated temple complex.
Major construction of the temple buildings followed in 1186. During the Kamakura period, Ruriji became a place where Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate, offered prayers.
In 1197, Yoritomo is said to have donated cherry tree seedlings to the temple. A descendant of these trees still blooms today as the famous “Yoritomo Donated Cherry Tree”, a beautiful weeping cherry that announces the arrival of spring.
During the turbulent Sengoku period, Ruriji continued to attract the devotion of powerful military leaders. Uesugi Kenshin is said to have prayed at the temple for victory in battle, while Takeda Shingen reportedly practiced Buddhist teachings here.
During the Eiroku and Genki eras, Shigemori, a high-ranking monk from Shokaku-in at the Eastern Pagoda complex of Mount Hiei, also served as the temple’s abbot. Ruriji was recognized as a place of prayer by both the Takeda and Uesugi clans, and its temple lands were formally protected.
These connections demonstrate that Ruriji was not only an important religious institution but also a place of significance within the political and military history of medieval Japan.
In 1582, during the conflict surrounding Oda Nobunaga’s campaign in Ina District, Ruriji was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the temple’s abbot, Eiun Hoin, managed to evacuate the precious Yakushi Triad to the inner sanctuary at Dodokoro, allowing the statues to survive the destruction.
In 1601, the temple received a land grant of 25 koku from Asahi Nagaosa, a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This provided the foundation for rebuilding the temple.
Further reconstruction was supported by Ogasawara Hidemasa, lord of Iida Castle, in 1606. Then, in 1624, during the tenure of the temple’s 48th abbot, Shino Hoin, Ruriji was moved back to its present location and rebuilt into the form that can be seen today.
During the Edo period, Ruriji entered a more stable era under the patronage of the Tokugawa family. The temple preserves nine copies of official land-grant documents issued under the name of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Ruriji also became an important pilgrimage destination. It is the 16th temple on the Chubu 49 Yakushi Pilgrimage and the 33rd temple on the Ina Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, attracting pilgrims from across the region.
The greatest treasure of Ruriji is its wooden Yakushi Nyorai and attendant Bodhisattva statues, created during the late Heian period.
The central statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing, is approximately 90 centimeters tall. On either side stand Nikko Bosatsu and Gakko Bosatsu, each more than 1 meter tall.
The statues were designated National Important Cultural Properties in 1934. They have traditionally been treated as hibutsu, or hidden Buddhist images, and have been carefully preserved as the central expression of the temple’s Yakushi faith.
Ruriji preserves numerous other Buddhist works from the Heian period and later eras. Among them is a wooden standing statue of Sho-Kannon Bosatsu from the late Heian period, designated a Nagano Prefectural Treasure, as well as a wooden standing statue of Jizo Bosatsu from approximately the same period.
The temple’s main hall, also known as Yakushido, was built in 1672 and is designated a cultural property of Takamori Town. It provides an excellent example of traditional temple architecture from the Edo period.
The main hall contains numerous architectural details that preserve techniques dating from the Muromachi period through the early Edo period. Particularly noteworthy are the decorative wooden carvings of guardian lions and elephants on the nose-like brackets of the entrance canopy, as well as the intricately crafted wooden supports.
Original design documents and records calculating the amount of timber required for construction have also survived. These documents add considerable academic value to the building, providing information about how a temple was planned and constructed in the Edo period.
The grounds of Ruriji contain numerous buildings arranged in a peaceful wooded setting. In addition to the main hall, visitors can see the Kannon Hall, Amida Hall, Jizo Hall, treasure storehouse, guest hall and priests’ quarters, and main gate.
The grounds also contain the Hiyoshi Shrine, which was established by transferring the spirit of Hiyoshi Taisha near Mount Hiei. Its presence alongside the Buddhist temple is a fascinating reminder of the historical relationship between Shinto and Buddhism in Japan.
Other historic features include stone Nio guardian statues erected in 1746 and Six Jizo statues erected in 1855. Together, these monuments create a remarkably peaceful atmosphere in which different layers of Japanese religious history can be encountered in a single temple complex.
The presence of Hiyoshi Shrine within the temple grounds is an especially interesting feature for visitors from overseas. Before the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the modern era, the two traditions were often practiced together.
The shrine’s guardian figure is the Masaru, or sacred monkey, a traditional protector associated with Hiyoshi shrines. This imagery has also influenced the traditional lion dance preserved at Ruriji.
One of the most beautiful seasonal attractions at Ruriji is the weeping cherry tree descended from the tree traditionally said to have been donated by Minamoto no Yoritomo.
In spring, the branches become covered in delicate blossoms, creating an especially beautiful scene against the historic temple buildings. The tree is designated as a Nagano Prefectural Natural Monument.
When the cherry blossoms are illuminated at night, the temple grounds take on an almost dreamlike atmosphere. The spring display has become a popular attraction for both local residents and visitors.
Ruriji is home to the traditional Oshimayama Lion Dance, a distinctive form of festival performance regarded as one of the origins of the large float-mounted lion dances found throughout the Iida and Shimoina region.
The dance is designated as a Nagano Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is traditionally performed on the second Saturday and Sunday of April. The annual performance draws local residents and visitors who gather to experience this vibrant expression of regional culture.
In 2012, performances of the traditional Ryo-o dance were also revived to commemorate the temple’s 900th anniversary. The dance is performed before the lion dance as a ritual to purify the performance space.
Ruriji also preserves an unusual tradition connected with the region’s former sericulture industry. Because cats were valued for protecting silkworms from mice, they came to be revered locally as protectors of sericulture.
At the Ruri no Sato Hall, visitors can pray to the Yakushi Nekogami, or “Yakushi Cat Deity.” The figure serves as a substitute for the temple’s hidden principal image when visitors cannot directly view the Yakushi Triad.
Ruriji’s cultural heritage extends far beyond its historic Buddhist statues. Its buildings, religious traditions, cherry trees, lion dance, and relationship with Hiyoshi Shrine together preserve a remarkable picture of how faith developed in rural Japan over many centuries.
The Yakushi Triad is the temple’s most important artistic treasure, while the annual lion dance demonstrates that the temple’s traditions are not simply preserved as historical artifacts but continue to be practiced by the local community.
Ruriji is approximately 4 kilometers from Ichida Station on the JR Iida Line, or about a 10-minute drive. It is also approximately 10 minutes by car from the Matsukawa Interchange on the Chuo Expressway.
Parking is available at the temple. The grounds are particularly popular during the spring cherry blossom season and the autumn foliage season, when the surrounding natural landscape adds another layer of beauty to the historic site.
Ruriji Temple is a remarkable destination where more than nine centuries of Buddhist faith, Japanese history, art, architecture, and local traditions remain intertwined.
Its National Important Cultural Properties, historic buildings, sacred cherry trees, traditional lion dance, and traces of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism all tell different parts of the temple’s long story. The connection with figures such as Minamoto no Yoritomo, Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen, and Tokugawa Ieyasu further illustrates its importance throughout Japanese history.
In spring, cherry blossoms brighten the temple grounds; summer brings lush greenery; autumn surrounds the buildings with colorful foliage; and winter creates a quiet landscape of stillness. At any time of year, Ruriji offers visitors a chance to slow down and experience the enduring beauty of Japanese faith and culture in a peaceful mountain setting.