Buddhist temple
Takkoku Seikō-ji
達谷西光寺（たっこくせいこうじ）
Hiraizumi, Nishiiwai District, Iwate Prefecture
The bettō temple (the temple in charge) of the Bishamon Hall at Takkoku no Iwaya in Hiraizumi, which serves the Bishamonten of the Iwaya Bishamon Hall, said to have been founded by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. It is a temple that conveys the old form in which kami and buddhas were enshrined in one precinct.
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: Bishamonten (Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon Hall)
History and things to know
According to the temple's tradition, in Enryaku 20 (801) Sakanoue no Tamuramaro built a Bishamon Hall in the cave in thanks for victory, and the following year the bettō temple, Takkoku Seikō-ji, was opened with the priest 奥真 as its founder. The Bishamon Hall burned in a fire in Shōwa 21, but the principal image was carried out, and the present hall was rebuilt in Shōwa 36.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
The principal image, Bishamonten, is a hidden image kept in a zushi (shrine cabinet) in the inner sanctum of the Iwaya Bishamon Hall (according to the official guide, the next showing will be in Reiwa 24). It is separate from the principal image (Yakushi Nyorai) of the Kondō in the grounds.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 達谷西光寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
This site is independent of the shrines, temples, and other websites mentioned. No partnership or endorsement is implied.