“Thirty-Six Children beside the steps to the Head Temple”, Mt. Takao, Hachioji, Tokyo, c. 1930.

“Thirty-Six Children beside the steps to the Head Temple”, Mt. Takao, Hachioji, Tokyo, c. 1930. Cast statues of children are arranged alongside the steps up to Yakuoin Temple.

Mount Takao in Japan is a sacred mountain with many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

It is perhaps most closely associated with devotion to tengu, long-nosed demon-like beings who are believed to dwell on sacred mountains acting as the messengers of the deities and buddhas to chastise evildoers and protect the good. They are often depicted holding a uchiwa (Japanese fan), that sweeps away misfortune and brings about good fortune.

Two figures standing in front of the Izuna Gongen-do Hall exemplify the two types of tengu. The smaller tengu is depicted with a beak of crow, while the larger one has a big nose. The small tengu is considered to be still undergoing religious training, while the large tengu is often likened to an experienced yamabushi (ascetic hermits) who has attained spiritual power through religious training at Mount Takao.

Yakuoin Temple was established in CE 744 on the orders of Emperor Shomu as a base for Buddhism in eastern Japan. The temple founder, Gyoki, was a charismatic priest closely associated with the erection of the Great Buddha at Todai-ji Temple in Nara.