Tenkawa Village

Water wells from a cave in the demon-gate woods.

Izumi no Mori, Dorogawa springs

Photo by ブルーノ・プラス (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Enku statues

A paper slip in the Sho Kannon's backsuggests the four date from Kanbun 10.

Four statues by Enku are enshrined at Tochio Kannondo, and the village designates them cultural properties. The village's heritage page says the back of the standing Sho Kannon has a filled-in hole for deposits, and a 1964 survey confirmed paper fragments there. From a few legible characters, including "Kanbun", it says the statues can be estimated to date from Kanbun 10 (1670).

Estimated made in Kanbun 10 (1670)
Four statues enshrined, with the Sho Kannon
Paper fragments confirmed in a 1964 survey

02 ／ Ako-fujo mask

An inscription on the mask's back saysKanze Juro gave it in Eikyo 2.

天河大辯財天社本殿.jpg — Photo by 伊勢正親 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Ako-fujo mask at Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Shrine is inscribed on its back with a dedication, the date "Eikyo 2, 11th month" and the name Kanze Juro. The shrine explains that Juro Motomasa, son of Zeami, donated it in 1430. The shrine's 30 Noh and kyogen masks became Important Cultural Properties in 2013.

Donated in Eikyo 2 (1430)
Inscription on the back
30 Noh and kyogen masks, Important Cultural Properties, 2013

03 ／ Dorogawa Onsen

Dorogawa's hot-spring town has flourishedas a base for the Omine climb.

The village says Dorogawa Onsen has flourished as a base for faith in Omine, rising with Shugendo. Its open verandas were made so that many yamabushi could step up into an inn at once. The district is also said to be home to descendants of Goki, whom En no Gyoja is said to have had as his follower.

Flourished as a base for faith in Omine
Open verandas
Said to be home to Goki's descendants

Living here

From Shimoichiguchi, 54 minutes by bus.

about 1,000 people
Rural district town

The village has no railway station. Its guide directs visitors from Shimoichiguchi Station on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line, in Oyodo, by Nara Kotsu bus to Tenkawa-kawai. On the Nara Kotsu timetable revised 14 March 2026, buses that run every day take 54 minutes to Tenkawa-kawai and 68 minutes to Dorogawa-onsen. The population is 473 in Dorogawa, 515 in the central district and 183 in the western district (end of February 2026).

People living here: 1,176people
Area: 175.66km²
Households: 561households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 1 clinic

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —0 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Tenkawa Village in Japan34.242°N 135.855°E

to ShimoichiguchiLocal bus54min

Travel times follow 奈良交通『奈良バスなびweb』（https://navi.narakotsu.co.jp/ ）の区間検索時刻表。下市口駅（停留所コード1854）⇒天川川合（2005）と、逆向き。検索日は2026-10-15（平日ダイヤ）・2026-10-17（土曜ダイヤ）・2026-10-18（日曜・祝日ダイヤ）。下市口駅のりば（岩森・洞川温泉・中庵住方面）の標準発車時刻表PDF『2026年3月14日改正』（保存 $SP/tenkawa/narakotsu_shimoichiguchi_22.pdf・PDF の作成日 2026-02-21） (checked 2026-10-14). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities.

Territory of Tenkawa Village

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

13.6km

五條市, 川上村, 上北山村, 黒滝村

Tenkawa Village isthis kind of town.

01Izumi no Mori is one of the Dorogawa springs. The Ministry of the Environment's page says clear water wells from a cave behind the sacred trees at the village entrance, which falls in the kimon (demon-gate) direction, and that the Dorogawa springs are under the Dorogawa property ward, a special local public body
02The Enku statues at Tochio Kannondo are village-designated cultural properties. The 30 Noh and kyogen masks of Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Shrine are Important Cultural Properties, and Dorogawa Onsen has flourished as a base for faith in Omine
03Ominesanji Temple on Mt. Sanjogatake, Ryusenji Temple in Dorogawa and Somon Falls are also in the village. The village site calls the Omine mountains a World Heritage site, and the Omine Okugake-michi route, which spans several towns including Tenkawa, is a national Historic Site

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Tenkawa Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗