Kongojoji Temple

Said to be the oldest temple in Yamaga, Kongojoji was established in the ninth century by Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. The temple is tied to a 15th-century story: when Yamaga's hot springs ran dry for months, the temple's head priest, Yumei Hoin, prayed continuously and built the Yakushi-do Hall in honor of the Buddha of Healing. The waters eventually returned, an event still marked each December with the Onsen Fukkatsu Festival. In February, Kongojoji also hosts Yamaga Lantern Romance events, with illuminated bamboo vessels and colorful umbrellas creating a quiet, atmospheric evening around the temple grounds.