Ryūkaku-ji, Buddhist temple in Sakae, Japan
Ryūkaku-ji is a Buddhist temple sitting on a plateau near Lake Inbanuma, built with traditional Japanese architecture and featuring a bronze statue of Yakushi Nyōrai as its main image. The grounds preserve foundation stones from the Nara period Kondō, an ancient South Gate, and numerous historical roof tiles that visitors can view.
The temple was founded in 709 during the reign of Empress Genmei, making it among the earliest religious structures in eastern Japan. It received National Historic Site designation in 1933, formally recognizing its cultural importance.
The temple serves as a living center for Tendai Buddhist practice, where monks conduct regular ceremonies that connect visitors to centuries-old traditions. You can sense this ongoing spiritual role simply by walking through the grounds and observing the maintained spaces where devotional activities take place.
Visitors can walk freely across the temple grounds to view the historical structures and roof tiles up close. Wear comfortable shoes since the terrain is somewhat uneven and involves walking through several areas with ancient remains.
Local records describe a severe drought in 731 that prompted intense prayers at the temple, allegedly resulting in a mystical dragon dividing into three separate beings. These three dragon forms were said to settle at different temple locations, creating a spiritual connection across multiple sites.
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