Kano Gongen

Kano Gongen is said to have been a shrine enshrined by Ashikaga Yasui, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshikane, founder of Hanna-ji Temple.
Ashikaga Yasunari was a devout believer in Shintoism and Buddhism, and is said to have been especially devoted to Oiwasan Bishamonten. Although the content of his prayers is not known, Yasunaga made a pilgrimage to the shrine to pray for 100 days. On the ninety-ninth day, he passed by Gyokihei and saw a white snake emerging from a rock, which he thought was a sign that his wish had been fulfilled.
As the name suggests, Kano Gongen is a shrine where wishes come true.

In the local community, it has long been believed that any wish made at the shrine of Kano Gongen will come true.
Nowadays, the shrine is a power spot for good luck and money, and many people from Tochigi and other prefectures visit the shrine to pray for the fulfillment of their love, success in entrance exams, fulfillment of their wishes, and the birth of their children.
Kano Gongen is located in a quiet rocky area surrounded by broad-leaved trees and conifers, and is a place where you can rest your mind and feel a power spot.

On the reverse side are the words "Yume kanau" (dream come true) and "Kano Gongen" written by the chief priest.

It is available at the main temple and the temple office of Oiwasan Bishamonten.

If you are too far away to visit, we can mail it to you. Please apply from the Inquiries page.

There are two ways to use the "Yume Kanau" ema, which depicts Kano Gongen, a shrine where wishes come true.

First, please write your wish, name, and address on the reverse side of the ema, and then drop it off at the ema dedication place in the temple grounds.

Second, after writing your wish, name, and address on the back of the ema, please visit the shrine of Kano Gongen-sama to express your wish, and enshrine the ema with Kano Gongen-sama on it at home as an image of God. Please put your hands together every day and pray for your wish.

After a year has passed, or if your wish comes true, please return the ema to the ema dedication place on the shrine grounds and pay your respects.

The red seal of Kano Gongen, a wish-fulfilling shrine, is called "Yume Kanau" Goshuin, with the word "Yume Kanau" or "Dream Fulfillment" written in brush strokes and a white snake stamped on it. Kano Gongen's "Yume Kanau" red seal is available at Oiwasan Bishamonten on the first day of each month. During the New Year, a limited number of red seals are given on each of the three days of the New Year.

Please let the receptionist know your wish for the red seal, which is a prayer for the fulfillment of your heartfelt wishes.

Please ask at the main hall of Bishamonten (Mt. Oiwa Bishamonten).
Awarding fee: 500 yen

Kano Gongen is a shrine located in the precincts of Oiwasan Bishamonten (official name: Oiwasan Tamoninin Saishoji Temple), one of the three largest Bishamonten in Japan and the oldest in Kanto.
Gongen is a title for Shinto and Buddhist deities in Japan. The Hindu belief that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appear on earth to save and guide sentient beings (living beings: people, birds, and animals) merged with the Japanese theory of Honchi Dutsujaku, or manifestation by manifestation, and the deities native to Japan were called Gongen and given the character of Buddha.
The "Gong" in "Gonge" means "power," but it also means "temporarily," and "Kake" means "to change," or "to teach and guide. Honji-suijaku-setsu is a Buddhist terminology based on the idea of the union of Shintoism and Buddhism, which originated in the Heian period (794-1185) and involved the idea of a Buddha or bodhisattva taking the form of a deity to save the people.
On the other hand, the anti-honchi-dakujaku theory is based on the idea that Japanese deities take the form of Buddha to save the people.
For this reason, a shrine in a temple is called gongen, and a temple in a shrine is called jingu-ji, etc. This is also the reason why there is a torii (gate) at Gongen.

Kano Gongen is located in the precincts of Oiwasan Bishamonten, the oldest Bishamonten in Kanto. It is enshrined in the middle of a mountain path that leads south from the precincts of Oiwasan Bishamonten and down from Gyokodaira, the exit of the ascent of Otokozaka and Onnazaka, to the western slope.
Although it is within the precincts of the temple, it is a mountain path in the Oiwa Mountains and is not maintained as an approach to the temple. It is not recommended to wear high heels or leather shoes, but rather sneakers or hiking shoes.

For those who have difficulty in going down the mountain path to Kano Gongen, there is a branch shrine in the main temple of Bishamonten.

Kano Gongen is a famous wish-fulfilling shrine and a power spot on Mt. Oiwa. You can see a video of Kano Gongen in this video.

• Click on the image above to see the scenery starting from Kano Gongen
• Clicking on the link displayed above the spherical panoramic photo will take you to spherical panoramic photos of the sky and the ground of the mountain path of Mt. Oiwa, the precinct of Saishoji-temple and Oiwasan-Bishamonten , and tourist spots scattered around Ashikaga City.
• By operating the buttons located at the top of the screen, you can rotate left/right/up/down, enlarge/reduce the screen, switch VR mode, display full screen, etc.
• VR mode provides a three-dimensional experience when viewed with VR goggles.
• The map display at the top left of the screen can be enlarged or reduced, and the map can be switched, allowing you to check the registered spherical panoramic photo location, viewing direction, and visible range.