Onsenji Temple

Onsenji sits atop 173 stone steps in the center of Gero's hot spring district, dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing. A 13th-century legend tells of villagers following a white egret to a new spring source, then discovering a Yakushi statue beneath a pine where the bird landed, leading to the temple's founding. A hot spring still flows beneath the main hall today, and water from the Yakushi statue outside is said to have curative properties. Votive plaques from the Edo period cover the walls inside, and some pillars carry scratched prayers from visitors who could not afford the plaques. The grounds are illuminated during November's autumn foliage season.