Tenkyū-ji Temple is located across the bridge over the Chikuma River from Matsushiro Castle toward Nagano. The temple is simple, but it enshrines the largest statue of King Enma in Japan. King Enma is a Judge who decides whether to toss the deceased into hell or send them to heaven according to their deeds during their lifetime.
It sits on your left immediately after passing through the gate. The statue, whose head is made of wood and the body made of plaster, was originally built during the reign of the 8th feudal lord. It is said that this statue was made to commemorate the dead from the Battle of Kawanakajima that happened here.
A huge statue of King Enma looms over the visitors. What did the people back in the Edo period make of his stern, all-seeing expression?
