Tengu

Tengu

Deep in the mountains, in the precincts of shrines and temples, you will encounter statues of tengu, or heavenly goblins. With their red faces, long noses, piercing eyes, wings and feather fans, they are the very embodiment of Japanese legend. Such tengu statues are very attractive as photographic subjects. They are mysterious, powerful, and somewhat humorous. Depending on the angle and the way the light falls on them, they look completely different.

Year 2025

Kashōzan Ryūge-in Miroku-ji Temple|The Closer You Come, the Greater the Stillness

This photograph captures the entire main hall of Miroku-ji Temple at Kasyōzan Ryūge-in from a slight distance.
Year 2025

Kashōzan Ryūge-in Miroku-ji|A Presence Guarded by Fresh Greenery

This photograph captures the stone statue of a crow tengu within the grounds of Kōyasan Ryūge-in Miroku-ji Temple, set against a backdrop of fresh greenery.
Year 2025

Kashōzan Ryūge-in Miroku-ji Temple|Gazing Back, That Powerful Face

This photograph was taken with the intention of conveying the sheer power of the large tengu mask located inside the main hall of Kasyōzan Ryūge-in Miroku-ji Temple.
Year 2025

Kashōzan Ryūge-in Miroku-ji|The Gaze Dwelling Beyond the Door

This photograph was taken at Kasezan Ryūgein Miroku-ji Temple. I tried to capture the image as if peering gently from outside at the tengu mask enshrined inside the main hall.
Year 2025

Shakyasan Ryuka-in Maitreya Temple|The expression of silence in the light

This photo shows the tengu masks in the main hall of Maitreya Temple at Kabasan Ryuka-in Maitreya Temple, from a viewpoint that looks inside.
Year 2025

Shakabasan Ryuka-in Maitreya Temple|An air of solemnity in the depths of the temple

This photo was taken at Miroku-ji Temple in Ryuka-in, Mt. Kabasan, and was taken from a slightly pulled back position to give a wider view of the tengu masks in the main hall.
Year 2025

Shakabasan Ryuka-in Maitreya Temple|The power that resides beyond the line of sight

This photo was taken at Kabasan Ryuka-in Miroku-ji Temple, with a large tengu mask inside the main hall, looking in from outside the building.
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