Tenkawa

Located in the Kii Peninsula, Tenkawa encompasses a quarter of Yoshino-Kumano National Park, featuring steep mountains and deep valleys with clear water streams.

Established as an administrative division in 1889, Tenkawa holds the Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Shrine from the 7th century, dedicated to the water goddess Benzaiten.

The village serves as a center for Shugendo practices, where practitioners follow ancient mountain worship traditions combining nature worship, Shinto, and Buddhist elements.

Visitors can reach Tenkawa via bus or car from Nara Station, with the journey taking approximately one hour through mountainous terrain.

Mount Omine, where En-no Gyoja founded Japan's first mountain worship over 1300 years ago, maintains a traditional men-only access policy for mountain ascetic practices.

Location: Yoshino district

Inception: April 1, 1889

Website: https://www.vill.tenkawa.nara.jp/

Shares border with: Gojō, Kurotaki, Kawakami, Kamikitayama

Website: https://vill.tenkawa.nara.jp

GPS coordinates: 34.24192,135.85533

Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:46