Takaosan Yakuōin Yukiji Temple
Takaosan Yakuōin Yukiji Temple, commonly known as Yakuōin, is a historic Buddhist temple located on Mount Takao in Hachioji City, Tokyo, Japan.
高尾山 薬王院 有喜寺
Takaosan Yakuōin Yukiji Temple, commonly known as Yakuōin, is a historic Buddhist temple located on Mount Takao in Hachioji City, Tokyo, Japan.
Established in 744 CE by the decree of Emperor Shōmu, the temple was founded by the revered monk Gyōki Bodhisattva as a center for Buddhism in eastern Japan.
In the late 14th century, Shungen Daitoku, a priest from Mount Daigo in Kyoto, restored Yakuōin. He performed an intense goma fire ritual dedicated to the deity Fudō Myō-ō, burning 8,000 goma sticks. Following this ritual, Shungen received a vision of Izuna Daigongen and enshrined this deity as the temple's principal image. This restoration aligned Yakuōin with Shingon esoteric Buddhism and established Mount Takao as a center for Shugendō, a form of mountain asceticism.
During Japan's civil war period (late 15th to late 16th century), powerful warrior lords, including Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, revered Izuna Daigongen as a protector deity. The Hōjō family, dominant in the Kantō region, placed Mount Takao under their special protection due to its strategic significance. In the Edo period (1603–1867), the ruling Tokugawa family patronized Yakuōin, leading to its expansion. Today, Yakuōin is one of the three head temples of the Shingon-shu Chisan-ha sect, alongside Naritasan Shinshō-ji and Kawasaki Daishi Heiken-ji.
The temple is closely associated with tengu, mythical long-nosed beings believed to dwell on sacred mountains as protectors and messengers of deities. Statues of tengu are prominent throughout the temple grounds, symbolizing their role in safeguarding the area.
Visitors to Yakuōin can experience traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine known as shōjin-ryōri by making reservations in advance.
LOCATION
