Kongō-in, Buddhist temple in Miyanomae, Japan.
Kongō-in is a Buddhist temple in Itami with a main pavilion featuring wooden carvings and altars crafted with attention to detail. The grounds are surrounded by gardens designed as spaces for personal reflection and spiritual focus.
A Buddhist monk named Shōbō founded this temple in 904, during a period when Buddhism was growing stronger across Japan. The site became part of a wider network of temples in the historical Settsu region.
The temple hosts regular ceremonies where visitors can observe traditional Buddhist practices unfolding in a living community context. The spaces feel cared for and invite you to step away from daily life and experience spiritual moments firsthand.
You can reach the grounds easily using local transportation and explore them at your own pace. It helps to check ahead for ceremony times so you can experience the temple when it is most active.
The grounds contain rare wooden carvings that have been preserved by craftspeople across generations. These details are easy to miss at first glance but reveal themselves as genuine examples of skilled handwork.
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