“Ōya-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. The temple is famous for its bas-relief carvings on a cliff face. The honzon of the temple is a bas-relief stone statue of Senjū Kannon. The temple is the 19th stop on the Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage route of 33 temples sacred to Kannon in the Kantō region.

“The history and foundation of the temple is uncertain, but it appears to date from the late Nara period to early Heian period. The temple is located in a valley which contains the ruins of a Jōmon period settlement. According to the temple’s own legend, it was founded by Kūkai in 810 AD after he returned from Tang dynasty China.”