Taikoiwa Fudoji Temple

 

Fudo-ji is a small temple with a solitary building at about 400 meters above sea level on Mount Kurokami near Takeo and Arita in Saga.

I presume it is/was a sub-temple of  Saikomitsu-ji a little higher up the mountain that was a major Shugendo center in historical times.

Sometimes called Taikoiwa Fudoji, Taikoiwa is a rock outcropping above the temple. Such rock formations were attractive to yamabushi, Tendoiwa being one on top of the mountain with a shrine connected to a myth about a giant serpent.

On Taikoiwa is a carving of Fudo Myo and a path lined with statues leads from Fudoji up to the carving.

There was to be a big ceremony at the nearby Saikomitsu Temple the next day, so that is why many of the statues had fresh cut flowers.

Fudo-ji is nowadays an unmanned temple. Like many rural temples, the priest has gotten too old and no-one has replaced him.

Whereas major temples receive a hefty tax-free income from tourism, and urban temples can rely on the very lucrative funeral market, so many rural temples are now abandoned and often demolished.

Next up we will look at the magaibutsu, cliff carving, of Fudo.

In the previous post I showed some of the many Fudo Myo statues around the temple and along the path.