Buddhist temple
Ryūan-ji
瀧安寺（りゅうあんじ）
Minō, Osaka Prefecture
A temple of the Honzan Shugen-shū inside Minō Park, styled Minōsan Ryūan-ji, and regarded as a fundamental training place (konpon dōjō) of Shugendō. Its principal image is Benzaiten, which the temple officially describes as the first Benzaiten in Japan, and the Kannon Hall enshrines Nyoirin Kannon.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: Benzaiten (the main image of the Kannon Hall is Nyoirin Kannon)
History and things to know
According to temple tradition, in 658 En no Gyōja practiced at Minō Falls and, in gratitude for attaining enlightenment through the guidance of Benzaiten, made a statue of Benzaiten himself and enshrined it beside the falls, calling the temple Minō-dera; this was the beginning, and it was later renamed Ryūan-ji. Afterwards many practitioners entered the mountain and it flourished as a mountain training place, and at its height it is said to have had more than eighty halls. From the Meiji period onward only the present area remained, and the surroundings became an Osaka prefectural forest park.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
Car navigation systems sometimes direct visitors to the Minō Falls driveway side, so the official guide advises setting Minō Station or the parking lot in front of the station as the destination (the waterfall path is closed to general vehicles).
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 瀧安寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-21 確認）
This site is independent of the shrines, temples, and other websites mentioned. No partnership or endorsement is implied.