Zenkō-ji, Buddhist temple in Nagano, Japan
Zenkō-ji is a Buddhist temple and national treasure in the city of Nagano, made up of several wooden buildings, stone gates, and landscaped gardens. The main hall displays traditional Japanese temple architecture with curved roofs, thick timber columns, and ornate carvings, while smaller buildings for rituals and administration line the grounds.
The shrine was founded in the year 642 when Buddhist missionaries from Korea brought the first Buddha statue to Japan. In the 17th century, the Tokugawa shoguns erected the current main hall, which was rebuilt in the old style after several fires.
The name Zenkō means good light source, and pilgrims from across Japan come here to pray before the hidden main image that no one is allowed to see. The temple grounds also attract many believers who think that visiting here secures passage to paradise, regardless of gender or social standing.
The complex opens daily at sunrise and closes at sunset, with a fee charged for entering the inner areas. Visitors should remove shoes before entering the halls and can follow the pathways and staircases that lead to the main buildings.
Beneath the main hall, a completely dark corridor runs through the floor, where pilgrims grope in the blackness for a metal loop hanging on the wall that symbolizes the gate to paradise. Whoever touches the loop is said to connect with the hidden Buddha statue and receive a special blessing.
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