Serenity Among the Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji Temple

When people plan to visit Kyoto, Japan, they believe the most magical thing they can do is walk through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Kyoto is the city of 1600 Temples and 400 Shrines, and many of these are easy to miss because they are small… wedged between two buildings on a busy street, non-descript in a local neighborhood, or hidden at the top of a bamboo forest. If you take a taxi (or the bus) to Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji Temple, you will find yourself at the top of Arashiyama with an easy path down, but don’t start walking just yet — this Temple is one of the most unique places I have ever visited in my travels.

The temple grounds of Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji are filled with 1200 statues, each one completely unique, but all representing the disciples of Buddha. The temple has a long history dating back to the Heian period, but in its current location it was re-built in 1922. In 1950 it was severely damaged, but in 1955 under a new head priest, the temple renovations began. The new priest, Kocho Nishimura, was a trained sculptor of Buddhist statues, and he wanted to have visitors carve a statue for the temple. Between 1981 and 1991, 1200 different statues were carved, each by a different person… which makes them all unique from one another. You can spend hours looking at each statue, you’ll find one holding a baseball bat, one hiding behind a mask, and another with a cassette player! This temple is a great place to witness the beautiful seasons of Japan – the statues all get a “snow cap” in winter, or are surrounded by blossoms in spring, colorful leaves in autumn. Due to the slightly higher elevation, you can find the shade of this temple a cool respite from the summer heat.

When you are ready to depart, you may start on the path down through Arashiyama, and eventually you will end up in the famous Bamboo Grove. Along the way there are other temples, shrines, local shops, and maybe a restaurant or two for you to enjoy a traditional meal in. We stopped at Juraku-An, a 150 year old house with an 80+ year old woman who prepared our delicious meal. She didn’t bring any of us the dishes we ordered, but the food was, perhaps, the best meal we had in Japan. When we finally arrived at the famous Bamboo Grove, we acknowledged its subtle beauty, but the path was filled, shoulder to shoulder, with other tourists. I think we would have preferred, in that moment, to be back at the top with the 1200 statues instead. Check out more adventures, Away From the Crowds.

–Alyssa Ilves