Takkoku no Iwaya Temple was built embedded in the rock wall of a cliff 1,200 years ago during the early Heian period.
Takkoku no Iwaya Temple was built embedded in the rock wall of a cliff 1,200 years ago during the early Heian period. The original Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon Temple burned down and its original form is unknown today; the current building was reconstructed in 1961, modeled after Kiyomizu in Kyoto. There used to be 108 statues of Bishamonten, the Guardian of the North, of which 33 remain today. Takkoku no Iwaya was built and dedicated to the god of warriors in the 9th century, during the Japanese expansion northwards and the ensuing battles with the indigenous Emishi people. Takkoku no Iwaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Size: 5400px × 3600px
Location: Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Photo credit: © John Lander / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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