Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
28 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
28 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
28 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
28 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Hiraizumi Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo

Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.

Hiraizumi, Japan

Added By
Davey Young
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo   daveyyoung / Atlas Obscura User
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo   daveyyoung / Atlas Obscura User
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo   daveyyoung / Atlas Obscura User
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo   daveyyoung / Atlas Obscura User
  catbacon / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Accented by the northernmost Japanese Buddha image, the Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo temple was allegedly built over a thousand years ago on the site of a warlord's holding cell.

At the beginning of the 9th century, the Heian Court in Kyoto was expanding its territory to the northeast, where it encountered several regional warlords. One such particularly nasty warlord was named Akuro Takamiro, who ruled an area then called Ezo, now part of modern day Iwate Prefecture. The story goes that he used to steal women and children from the towns to keep as his slaves and concubines, whom he kept locked up in a dungeon in a cave and killed for pleasure.

When the Heian Court set its sights on Ezo, Emperor Kammu recruited a man named Sakanoue no Tamuramaru to defeat the evil warlord. Sakanoue won the day, freed the people that were enslaved, and erected a shrine to Bishamon, guardian of Buddhist law. Naturally, he chose the cave where the warlord once used to enslave the area's women and children. The shrine was named Iwaya Bishamondo. The site originally held over a hundred statues of the figure in the former prison, but today only 33 remain. While it was founded as Shinto shrine, a complex of Pure Land Buddhist buildings were added in the 12th century by the Hiraizumi Court. Sometime after this a large Buddha face was carved into the cliff alongside the shrine (the northernmost Buddha in Japan), though its exact date is unknown.

Fires have destroyed the temple site a number of time down the centuries and the current building was built in 1961 to resemble Kiyomizudera Shrine in Kyoto. The surviving Bishamon statues are still on the site, but are usually kept hidden away, although they are revealed to the public once every 33 years.  

Related Tags

Temples Shrines Buddhism

Know Before You Go

Easily visible from the main road, route 31. 5 km bike ride from Hiraizumi Station (bike rentals and maps available at the station).

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

daveyyoung

Edited By

mikewalker, catbacon

  • mikewalker
  • catbacon

Published

September 16, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www15.ocn.ne.jp/~iwaya/
  • http://hiraizumi.or.jp/en/heritage/index.html
  • http://www15.ocn.ne.jp/~iwaya/
  • http://www.japan-iwate.info/app/location_detail.php?lid=8
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo
Hiraizumi, 029-4102
Japan
38.96825, 141.058354

Nearby Places

Sahara Glass Park

Ichinoseki, Japan

miles away

Genbikei Gorge

Ichinoseki, Japan

miles away

Kejonuma Leisure Land

Ōsaki, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Sahara Glass Park

Ichinoseki, Japan

miles away

Genbikei Gorge

Ichinoseki, Japan

miles away

Kejonuma Leisure Land

Ōsaki, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Related Places

  • Just a couple of elephant-gods tangling their trunks together.

    Shiroi, Japan

    Embracing Kangiten of Torimi Shrine

    A rare public effigy of “the Embracing Kangiten,” the erotic Japanese equivalent of Hindu god Ganesha.

  • Prince Morinaga’s Dungeon.

    Kamakura, Japan

    Prince Morinaga's Dungeon

    The alleged site of the months-long imprisonment of a Japanese prince.

  • Kobe, Japan

    Myoken-ji

    A relatively young Buddhist temple on hilltop, dedicated to a statue relocated from Mount Atago.

  • Kamakura, Japan

    Hansobo Shrine

    A mountaintop shrine-temple guarded by a horde of half-demon priests.

  • Gumi, South Korea

    Dorisa Temple

    Known as the birthplace of Korean Buddhism, this temple features an ancient, five-story stone pagoda.

  • Valle de Bravo, Mexico

    Gran Stupa Bön Para la Paz Mundial

    One of the oldest and largest Buddhist structures in the Americas, located in a peaceful forest outside Mexico City.

  • A sztúpa légi felvételen

    Zalaszántó, Hungary

    Zalaszántó Stupa

    One of the biggest Buddhist stupas in Europe, hidden from most locals.

  • The stone rabbit guarding the shrine.

    Saitama, Japan

    Tsuki Shrine

    A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.