Tenkawa-mura: Home of meteorites, UFOs and hippie performers
Most people associate Japan with the concrete and steel towers of its capital city, with high-tech gizmos, with its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink convenience stores. But this country has another side as well. A hidden one. A spiritual one. And one of the best places to take it in is Tenkawa-mura ("Milky Way Village") in Nara.
Getting to the isolated Tenkawa-mura takes some doing. The bus from the closest train station takes roughly an hour. Then it's another 40 minutes by foot. If timed right, it can be done in one day -- but watch those timetables. There are only a handful of buses. If you miss one, you might well find yourself with six or seven hours to kill before the next.
Power spot
Devotees relish this isolation. Celebrities drop by to pay respects to Tenkawa Dai-Benzaiten-sha Shrine, home to Benzaiten, a patron saint of the performing arts. New Age types revere Tenkawa as a “power spot,” a place where only the “chosen" are allowed to visit. (Rumor has it that those who aren't, can't get there no matter how hard they try; sickness, weather, work, and all sorts of things will conspire to keep them away.) The area is also known for UFO sightings, supposedly attracted to three large (and apparently real) meteorites that are displayed on the grounds of the shrine. Some even claim to feel mysterious energies emanating from the stones as they approach.
I didn't sense any mystical vibrations on my visit, but I couldn't help noticing the groovy atmosphere. The shrine advertises events for all sorts of personal explorations -- stuff like yoga, chakras, and meditation. And it's also open to anyone who wants to perform. A pilgrim of some sort dressed in a robe strummed a sitar as I arrived. Later, another man kicked off an impromptu concert from a series of crystal bowls. And of course, the normal sorts of shrine visitors -- those praying or offering thanks for love, health, or success -- were out in force as well. Pretty busy for such an out of the way place.
World Heritage Site
All of this new-agey stuff is fine, but it's a good idea to study up on the history of the place before visiting. For better or worse, this shrine wasn't built by refugees from Area 51. A holy man by the name of En-no-Ozunu, the founder of the religion of Shugendo, established it over 1,300 years ago. Tenkawa sits on one of the most difficult to traverse pilgrimage routes crossing the Kii peninsula, called the Ancient Paths of Kumano. And the view of the surrounding mountains is absolutely breathtaking, which explains more than the meteorites and sitar concerts why the place is registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Stairway to Heaven
A priest ascends to the main part of the shrine.
A river runs through it
Tenkawa is the name of the local river as well.
Shrines
The shrine is nestled in the mountains.
One of the famed meteorites.
A tiny shrine to En-no-Ozunu tucked within the larger shrine.
The "Yuniwa" is the all purpose area within the shrine.
