Right near the main hall, you can find a truly massive Maitreya (Miroku Bosatsu) carved into the cliff face. Let’s take a quiet moment to bring our hands together, picturing what the image once looked like. Here’s a story that’s been passed down about this temple.
When Emperor Tenmu was still known as Prince Oama, he went hunting deer. While chasing a deer, he and his horse nearly fell off a steep cliff. He prayed to the mountain deity for help and was miraculously saved. When he prayed, he vowed that if he survived, he would carve the Maitreya into the large boulder there. With his life spared, he put his straw hat (“kasa” in Japanese) on a stone to mark the spot, ensuring he could return for carving, and then he went home. That stone came to be known as Kasaokiishi, meaning “the hat-placing stone,” and it’s said to be the origin of the place name Kasagi.
That’s why, if you look up near the Maitreya, you can find Kasaokiishi between massive rocks.
This temple offers so much more, from the tranquility of its beautiful fresh greenery to the delight of its colorful seasonal pinwheels. You can truly immerse yourself in captivating experiences!
(Just so you know, JR Kasagi Station, near Kasagidera Temple, currently features a display of many Japanese wind chimes! They create a cool and pleasant atmosphere with their visual and auditory beauty.）
Kasagidera Temple
The origins of Kasagidera Temple are astonishingly ancient. Already 2000 years ago, the giant boulders of Mount Kasagi were objects of worship. Over its long history, this place has been known as a training ground for mountain worship, too.
Today, the temple is famous especially for its enormous Magaibutsu (Buddhist figures carved into boulders). The temple’s principal object of worship is Maitreya (Miroku Bosatsu). There is a fascinating story behind it.
When Emperor Tenmu was still known as Prince Oama, he went hunting deer. While chasing a deer, he almost fell off a steep cliff with his horse. He prayed to the mountain deity for help and was saved. When he prayed, he vowed that if he survived, he would carve a statue of Maitreya into the large boulder. It is said that a celestial being descended to assist him in carving the image.
Unfortunately, the image was nearly obliterated by fire. However, even today, you can still feel its mystical atmosphere.
During the Nara Period (710-794), the Shogatsu-do hall was built. This is a place that is said to be the origin of the “Omizutori (drawing of water)” held at the Nigatsu-do hall in Todaiji Temple. Time passed, and Emperor Godaigo came to Mount Kasagi. Then the entire mountain turned into a battlefield, and was burned down. The temple was later rebuilt to its present form.
