Foundation of Tanakami Fudoji Temple

In 859, Chisho Daishi Enchin went to Mt. Tanakami to seek good material to build Miidera Temple. He marveled at the mountain emitting golden light every night, so he climbed up to the mountain top. He then found an old man sitting on a gigantic rock. The old man said to Enchin, “I was waiting for you to come. There is a sacred tree emitting a light. This place will be an unrivalled sacred place if you make a statue of Fudo Myo-o with that tree and enshrine it in a cave.” Enchin followed his words and carved a statue of Fudo Myo-o. The old man said, “I am actually Amaterasu Omikami and will give you divine protection for your Buddhist teaching,” and then he vanished. Enchin placed the statue in the cave as Amaterasu Omikami told him to, and built a temple building. That was reportedly the beginning of Tanakami Fudoji Temple.