Tenkaisan Ōya Temple

Historical place in Tochigi ken, carvings are amazing. Photography inside the cave is prohibited unluckily. Carvings inside the cave are mind blowing. There are so many nice restaurants around as well.

Sanctuary from really ancient time called "Jomon era." Famous for Stone God carved on a Ohya Rock.

The Oya stone temple, be sure to get the Oya 1 day sightseeing ticket ¥1750 available from the Utsunomiya train stations tourist booth. This covers the bus return ticket (all day), temple, and museums entrance fees.

This temple doesn't look like much from outside but its main hall is nestled under an imposing cliff and houses a collection of Buddhist figures carved into the rock. One of them in particular is said to be the oldest of its kind in Japan at over 1000 years old. Worth the 400 yen when you consider the money needed for preservation.

Here you can experience a unique part of Japan's history. This Temple is connected to the nearby Oya History Museum, where the unique Oya stone was mined. This site has many Buddha's engraved in the Oya stone​, including a giant one, over 30 ft tall. The scenery and shrines are beautiful, but there's not much else there.