Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture

[Northern Tohoku RegionTowada, Shimokita, TsugaruTowada Lake Area]

Temples and Shrines・Buddhist Temples

Universal ID：jp-tourism/70166e4c-7c8e-486d-aa91-d781b1dbd0b1

Bechiyosantendaiji

official name：hachiyousann tenndai temple

English name：hachiyousann tenndai temple

Yaba Yamatendai-ji Temple

Transit

last updated：2025.11.23

Temples and Shrines・Buddhist Temples
Shinto Shrine・Buddhist Temple

This temple, founded in the 5th year of the Shōmei era (728) during the Nara period, is the oldest temple in the Tohoku region. It is also the 33rd pilgrimage site of the Nakabe Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. The annual grand festivals are held in May and October. The temple's main deity, the Standing Seated Kannon statue, is considered the finest example of Tohoku's carved Buddhist statues. Other important cultural properties include the main hall, the Nio gate, and the wooden Eleven-Faced Kannon statue, all of which are designated as Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government. Although the giant cedar tree with a 5-meter diameter and a circumference of about 15 meters that once stood on the temple grounds has been lost, the restored cedar tree (Ubasugi), faithfully rebuilt from the burnt remains using precise measurements, is truly awe-inspiring in its size. [Admission] 500 yen for the Cultural Property Preservation Donation."