Zenko-ji Temple, Nagano Overview
A 1,400 year old temple that belongs to no single sect, which is why it has drawn pilgrims from every school of Japanese Buddhism. Its 1707 main hall is a National Treasure. Beneath the altar runs the Okaidan, a pitch-dark passage where you feel along the wall for a metal key said to grant paradise. Prices have risen: 800 yen for the inner sanctuary, 1,500 for the combined ticket, well above the 600 japan-guide still lists.
