Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, Buddhist temple in Saga Toriimoto, Kyoto, Japan
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is a Buddhist temple in Saga Toriimoto, a district in western Kyoto. The grounds spread across several levels and contain a wooden main hall and 1,200 stone figures of disciples scattered among the trees and along the pathways.
The temple was founded in 766 by Empress Koken and originally stood in Higashiyama. After heavy flooding in the Heian period, it was moved to its current location in the Arashiyama hills.
The stone figures throughout the grounds display smiling, thoughtful or shouting faces, giving the site a lively character. Visitors walk slowly along the paths, discovering new expressions and gestures carved into each sculpture.
The temple opens daily from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and sits in a quiet mountain area west of the busier Arashiyama district. Those wanting to observe the stone figures without crowds should arrive early in the morning or on cooler days.
The Jizo hall houses a fire-protecting deity often worshipped in rural areas. The main hall displays curved wooden ceilings, a Kamakura-period building style rarely seen today.
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