Tengu masks are characterized by their red face and intense glaring expression and are legendary creatures in Japanese folklore, often depicted as part human and part bird. About 540 years ago, a monk of the Kashōzan Mirokuji Temple is believed to have transformed into a tengu (a mythical mountain spirit) and ascended to the heavens. After his departure, a tengu mask was found left behind, which marked the beginning of tengu mask worship. There is a custom in which worshippers borrow a tengu mask during their visit, and when their wish is fulfilled, they donate a new mask along with the borrowed one in return. The masks have been handcrafted in the same traditional way since the temple’s founding.