Great Tengu Bashosen Japanese-Style Goshuin Series Greeting Card

A touch of sacred Japanese folklore comes to life in this Daitengu Bashosen greeting card from the Japanese Pattern Goshuin series. Crafted from fibrous Unryu Washi paper, this bi-fold card opens to an A5 size measuring 200 by 148 mm. Every card is individually blessed by a Buddhist monk, giving you a meaningful piece of spiritual artistry straight from Japan.

In Japanese mythology, Tengu dwell deep in mountains rarely touched by people. Some are known as Karasu Tengu, with a crow-like beak and the power to fly freely through the sky. Their appearance is said to be modeled on the robes worn by Yamabushi ascetics and Shugendo practitioners who trained in these remote peaks.

Legend holds that the warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, while still known as Ushiwakamaru, honed his swordsmanship under the guidance of Tengu in the mountains. Mount Kiyama, dotted with the halls of Honpukuji Temple, was itself a center of Shugendo, where Yamabushi gathered for generations to train under its waterfalls. Even the great monks Kobo Daishi Kukai, Jichō Daishi Enchin, and Jikaku Daishi Ennin are said to have undertaken ascetic training in these same mountain forests.

This card carries that rich heritage forward, offering a beautifully designed link to ancient tradition and goshuin culture.