Tōnan-in, Buddhist temple in Yoshino, Japan.
Tōnan-in is a Buddhist temple located southeast of Kinpusen-ji, housing a wooden seated statue of Dainichi Nyorai in its halls. The complex displays traditional Japanese architectural design set within Yoshino's mountainous landscape.
En no Gyōja founded this temple in the second half of the 7th century as a center for Shugendo practices. This tradition merges Buddhist and Shinto elements into a single spiritual system.
This temple serves as the head institution of the Kinpusen Shugen Main Sect and attracts pilgrims visiting sacred sites throughout the region. You can feel the connection between the place and the practitioners who walk their spiritual paths here.
The temple is best reached by the Yoshino Ropeway, which runs directly from the railway station upward. From the mountain station, it's a short walk through forested paths to reach the temple.
Ascetic mountain practitioners conduct their training rituals in the surrounding natural environment and cultivate their abilities here. These intense practices remain largely hidden from outsiders, making the place truly distinctive.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
