Trip Yamagata Japan

When Jikaku Daishi came to Yamadera in 860 to found Risshakuji Temple, he was said to have met with the hunter Banji Banzaburo, who ruled the local area, upon the huge rock known as the Taimenseki Rock (“Meeting Rock”) to ask for a place to build a Buddhist temple. Greatly moved by Jikaku Daishi’s noble request that he cease killing animals in order to respect the natural environment and establish a sacred site of mountain Buddhism, Banji Banzaburo was said to have renounced his life as a hunter and converted to Buddhism, assisting Jikaku Daishi in the establishment of Risshakuji Temple. Legend has it that the grateful animals of the region performed a shishi-odori dance for Banji Banzaburo, and this dance continues to be performed at the annual Yamadera Banji Festival. The Taimenseki Rock, which played a significant role in the history of Yamadera, has become a popular sightseeing spot, and good luck is said to come to those who place their left hand on the rock and make a wish. Located in front of the Taimenseki Rock is the Taimendo Shrine, which houses statues of both Jikaku Daishi and Banji Banzaburo and was built to pay lasting tribute to the founding of Yamadera, and good fortune is said to come to those who pray before the two statues. The Kofuku no Kane (“Bell of Good Fortune”) was added in 2013 to commemorate the first public unveiling in 50 years of the Konponchudo Temple’s principal deity, a seated statue of Yakushi Nyorai. Visitors to the Bell of Good Fortune may ring the bell twice and make a wish.