Daisen-ji

This Buddhist temple dating from 718 on Daisen, long considered a sacred mountain, seems eternally tranquil. In reality, from the eighth to the 14th century the Daisen-ji shrine complex was a hub of power, where armed priests exerted control over the area, protecting its 100 shrines. Surviving a tumultuous history of anti-Buddhist sentiment with closure in 1875 and a fire in 1928, the complex of four wooden worship halls you see today is an image of serenity among the trees.