Zenko-ji's main hall had bells hanging on both sides of the front

When you get off the bus from Nagano Station at Zenko-ji Daimon, the main hall of Zenko-ji is still nowhere to be seen. The first place you see is the head shop of Hachimanya Isogoro, famous for its shichimi (seven spice) chilli. As you proceed past the chairs with the same design as the familiar cans, the approach to the temple continues as a pedestrian-only path. The first tension is probably when you reach the Nio-mon Gate. The Nio statues, created by Takamura Koun and Yonehara Unkai, are so lifelike that they seem to start moving, and if you stare at them, you might be told that they are not for show.

After passing the Nio-mon gate, the next thing you come to is the San-mon gate. This is a gate that can be climbed to the second floor and has a very good view. You can see the approach to the temple you have just walked along, and if you go around to the other side, you can see the main hall of Zenko-ji Temple, which is the temple you are aiming for. Compared to the size of a person, the size of the main hall, one of the largest wooden buildings in eastern Japan and a national treasure, is overwhelming. When you look at it, the balance between the upper and lower parts is exquisite, with the downward bulging shape seeming to deflate in front of the ground. I felt that this was like short legs attached to a large figure, radiating a sense of security, like Totoro in Jiburi-Anime.

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