Bandai-ji, Buddhist temple on cliff in Fukuyama, Japan.
Bandai-ji is a Buddhist temple in Fukuyama, Japan, built directly into the face of a cliff above the Seto Inland Sea. The Kannon Hall sits at the top of the site, facing the water and the islands beyond, and serves as the main place of worship.
The temple was founded in 992 by Emperor Kazan, who abdicated the throne to become a Buddhist monk and traveled through western Japan visiting sacred sites. Restoration work carried out by a feudal lord in later centuries brought the buildings to the form visitors see today.
Bandai-ji is one stop on the Setouchi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, a route of sacred sites around the Seto Inland Sea where people pray for safe voyages and children's health. Pilgrims today still walk this circuit, leaving offerings and prayer tablets at the Kannon Hall just as those before them did.
Getting here from Fukuyama Station requires a trip by public transport followed by a walk uphill to reach the clifftop. The path to the Kannon Hall is steep, so solid footwear and a steady pace make the climb much easier.
Emperor Kazan, who founded this temple, is the only Japanese emperor known to have abdicated and then traveled the country as a wandering Buddhist pilgrim. The pilgrimage route he is said to have walked along this coastline is still followed today by those retracing his journey.
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