Kurama Dera Temple – Kyoto’s Captivating Mountain Temple
Amidst the numerous wooden and rustic temples in the ancient capital of Kyoto (京都); Kurama Dera Temple (鞍馬寺/Kurama-dera) stands out from the rest as a mountain temple. It is located up in the mountains of Kurama; a spot renowned among locals as a spiritual power spot and also home to the legendary tengus (天狗). So what about this temple that makes it a fascinating site to visit? Let’s explore the background behind this scenic temple.
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History of Kurama Dera Temple
The history of Kurama mainly started from AD 770 when the monk from China Gancho (鑑禎). One night, the monk dreamt of a spot containing great source of spiritual energy north of Kyoto. He travelled up north and upon discovering the site, he became impressed by the spiritual energy of the site and founded a small hermitage.
According to some sources, he was attacked by a demon and almost eaten by it. However, a desperate and last minute prayer to the Buddhism god of war Bishamonten (毘沙門天) saved the monk as a tree fell and killed the demon. This convinced the monk to build the temple as a tribute to Bishamonten.
Later on, the temple was expanded further by the politically influential Fujiwara clan (藤原氏) and the Goddess of Mercy, Kannon (観音) was added on for worship. Eventually, the head monk of the temple in 1947 created his own Buddhist school of thought; combining Buddhism with nature and mountain worship given the temple’s unique location high up in the mountains.
Interesting Facts About Kurama Dera Temple
Home of the Legendary Tengus and Minamoto Yoshitsune
Tengus (天狗) are one of Japan’s fan-favourite yokais (妖怪 which means supernatural entities) and are usually depicted as human bird-like creatures with a red face and long nose. Most of their bad-ass reputation comes from the fact that they resemble humans and their ability to fight. Among the tengus are also Daitengus (大天狗); the more powerful boss of the tengus that ruled over their respective clan.
One of the principal deity that is worshipped here in fact is Maoson (魔王尊), a tengu-like deity that is believed to have arrived from Venus to Earth 6.5 million years ago via a meteorite. According to legends, the meteorite split to 3 parts; with one part landed at Mt Kurama itself.
The Daitengu for Mt Kurama (鞍馬山) is Sōjōbō (僧正坊) and according to local legends, he trained the famed general Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune (源義経) in swordsmanship before the latter head off to defeat the rivalling Taira clan (平氏). Yoshitsune would stay in the temple and trained at the mountains behind the temple during this time. Because of this, it is quite common to see statues of these fabled creatures across the village of Kurama.
The Origin of Reiki
Believe it or not, Reiki (霊気) had its origin from the mountains of Kurama Dera Temple. The founder of Reiki (霊気), Usui Mikao (臼井甕男) had a meditation retreat at Mt Kurama in the 1920s and he was impressed by the immerse spiritual energy of the mountain. Upon meditating for 21 days, it was said that he received healing energy from the mountain and gain true insight of the wisdom of life.
Eventually, Usui Mikao went on to develop the current concept and technique of Reiki healing (霊気/霊 (rei) meaning spirit and 気 (ki) meaning life energy). The practice involves using hands to deliver energy to the body to promote relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety. One could say that the Kurama is the birth place of today’s Reiki. This also lead to its famed reputation among locals as a spiritual power spot.
The Tiger Guardians
In Japan, shrines and temples often feature a pair of lion-dogs or Komainu (狛犬) in front of the entrance. One will open its mouth to represent birth while the other will have its mouth closed to represent death. This temple is unique however, that it features tigers (虎/tora in Japanese) as guardians instead.
This is a reference to Bishamonten (毘沙門天), the principal deity that is enshrined in the temple. Legend has it that Bishamonten descended to Kurama during the Hour of the Tiger, the Day of the Tiger and the Year of the Tiger as per the Chinese Lunar calendar.Similarly to the Komainu, one of the tigers have its mouth opened while the other’s one is shut.
Kurama Dera Temple Festivals
Takekiri Eshiki
The Takekiri Eshiki (竹伐会式) is an exciting festival that occurs on 20th June every year at Kurama Dera Temple. It features an energetic ceremony of monks clad in armour reenacting a scene of a legendary monk slaying a mystical snake 1,000 years ago. The monk’s name was Buen Shonin (峯延上人); in which he encountered the large snake during his training at Mt Kurama. As the snake was about the devour him, the monk immediately channeled his religious power to slay the beast.
During the ceremony itself, monks will split into different teams representing different prefectures and engage in a captivating ceremony of bamboo chopping. These bamboos represent the snake itself and are as long as 4 metres and 10 centimetres thick. And the winner is decided by whichever team that finishes chopping the bamboos.
The contest will conclude upon the victorious team rushing to the main temple hall while echoing their victory cries towards the crowd. The ritual itself symbolises that good will triumph over evil and it is believed that the prefecture of the winning team will be blessed with good harvest for the year.
Kurama Fire Festival
Much like the Takekiri Eshiki, the Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬火の祭り/Kurama-hi-no-matsuri) stems its origins from a 1,000 years ago. The festival itself is a reenactment of the moving of the Yuki Shrine (由岐神社), the Imperial Court’s protector to Kurama after a major earthquake occurred in AD 940.
The festival occurs on 22nd October annually during the evening; whereby small bonfires on stands called Kagaribi (篝火) are lit in front of the houses. Adults and children dressed in festive outfits will also be carrying large homemade pinewood torches called Taimatsu (松明) on their backs. The fire-wielding crowd will then move towards Kurama Temple while chanting ‘saireiya, sairyo’ enthusiastically to wish for a good festival.
Upon reaching the Yuki Shrine, the crowd will then carry two Mikoshi (神輿 or portable shrines) and parade them across the town up until past midnight. Be sure to plan head your transportation back to Kyoto before hand.
Overall Thoughts
Kurama Dera Temple undoubtedly contains a rich history and folklore behind its founding and is also one of my personal favourite must-go sites in Kyoto. In fact, it serves as a wonderful day trip destination from Kyoto simply for its stunning mountain sceneries.
See my other articles here for both Kurama and Kibune:
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