Kyoto Adashino Nenbutsu-ji 1 of 4
Shozo FujiiTo the East is Toribeno, to the West is Adashino. These two areas of Kyoto are known as the burying grounds of people that have died from war, natural disaster, or disease.
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan. In 811 Kūkai is said to have founded a temple, then Honen altered it to the present Nenbutsuji. [Wikipedia]
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To the East is Toribeno, to the West is Adashino. These two areas of Kyoto are known as the burying grounds of people that have died from war, natural disaster, or disease.
To the East is Toribeno, to the West is Adashino. These two areas of Kyoto are known as the burying grounds of people that have died from war, natural disaster, or disease
Off to the side of the area where mizuko (water children) jizo statues are, up a steep hill surrounded by a bamboo forest rests the "six-sided, six-bodies of jizo" monument. Part 3 of a 4 part series of Kyoto Adashino Nenbutsu-ji.
1,200 years ago where Adashino Nenbutsu-ji now stands, the famous priest Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai) opened a Chisan sect Shingon Buddhist temple dedicated to Nyorai. It later became Adashino Nenbutsu-ji.
More than 800 stone statues sit close together at Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple. Splendid autumn leaves put their arms around the statues and give them a comforting hug. The location of today’s Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple (northwest outskirts of Kyoto) was once a location used for open-air burial. As the years passed, the bones withered and scattered in the fields and mountains. A hundred years ago, locals collected the bones and buried them in this temple as a way to grieve for the dead.
It's hard to explain why, but the atmosphere here soothed and relaxed me. Perhaps it was the beauty of the autumn foliage. But I was surprised -- perhaps I didn't expect to feel peaceful in a place that was originally an open-air burial site. The temple was established over 1200 years ago by Kobo Daishi. Only accessible by bus (it's a 50-minute ride!) I felt that my time was very well spent. It's quiet here, and not overly crowded, perhaps because it is so far away from central Kyoto. There i a bamboo grove up behind the temple that is also quite nice.
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Gioji Temple (祇王寺) is a secluded Buddhist temple known for its picturesque moss garden.
Nison-in is a Tendai Buddhist temple complex in Ukyō-ku, a western ward in the city of Kyoto, Japan. The temple's official name is Ogura-yama Nison-kyō-in Keidai-ji. The temple is a popular destination during the Japanese maple viewing season. [Wikipedia]
Ōkōchi Sansō is the former home and garden of the Japanese jidaigeki actor Denjirō Ōkōchi in Arashiyama, Kyoto. The villa is open to the public for an admission fee and is known for its gardens and views of the Kyoto area. Several of the buildings are recorded as cultural properties by the national government. [Wikipedia]