Nyoirin-ji, Buddhist temple in Ogori, Japan.
Nyoirin-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ogōri, Japan, with a row of stone Jizo statues lining its entrance path. The main hall at the center of the grounds houses the sacred Nyoirin Kannon figure, one of the most revered in Japanese Buddhism.
The temple was founded in 729 on the orders of Empress Koken, making it one of the oldest Buddhist sites in the region. A fire in 1586 destroyed the original buildings, and the grounds were rebuilt during the Edo period into the layout that still exists today.
Every year from June to September, the temple holds a Wind Chime Festival where visitors hang colorful chimes and write wishes on paper strips that are put on display. The sound of the chimes fills the whole grounds during those months, giving the place a very distinct feel.
The temple is about a 15-minute walk from Nishitetsu Misawa Station and is quicker to reach by car. The grounds include several sets of stairs, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
Since 1992, visitors have left over a thousand frog figurines on the grounds after a former priest brought back a jade frog from China. The collection grew on its own, with no official plan behind it.
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