Mitaki-dera

Nestled in a mountain ravine just west of Hiroshima, Mitaki-dera meaning the Temple of Three Waterfalls, is a temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism which dates back to the turn of the 9th century C.E. As its name suggests, the temple is built around three small waterfalls which cascade from the mountain tops, through the temple grounds, and make their way into the river system which divides the multiple islands of Hiroshima. The water from these falls are presented in offering during the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6th to honor those killed in the atomic bombing of the city. The temple is also one of the few buildings in the area to have survived the atomic blast. A two-story pagoda on the temple grounds was donated by a shrine in Wakayama Prefecture and was taken apart piece by piece and reassembled on site in 1951 to honor the souls of those lost in the atomic blast. 

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

There are many reasons to visit this temple but none can really compare to the one reason I love this location over so many others: atmosphere. Getting to the temple from Hiroshima Station is very easy and even the short hike up the hill to the temple from Mitaki station is rather pleasant apart from the incline. As of when I have posted this, I have been to the temple twice, once in late summer/early autumn, and the second shortly following New Years. Both times I have visited I have been swept off my feet with the serenity with which I was embraced. The first time was in the morning after a rather warm weekend. Mitaki-dera is not a temple of buildings, and really I cannot recall how many, what size, and what style of architecture was used in the various small halls of the temple, but what I do remember are the surreal surroundings I found myself in. The temple was cool and damp, the moss covered trees and stones were dripping with the morning, and the soft rush of the falls calmed the mind like waves on a beach. The walls of the ravine close in as you climb, but there is always this wondrous sense of breath about the space. The temple grounds are filled with a variety of effigies from statues newly erected to carvings on the faces of great boulders which are barely distinguished from the encroaching moss. The second time I visited was also in the morning following a rain, but a thick fog refused to leave the valley. These statues took on a new and arcane life of their own as they slipped into and out of sight in the passing mist. My friend and I were greeted with the sudden ringing of the temple bell as another unseen visitor announced their arrival just up ahead. All in all, the temple was something out of a book, a fantasy novel where despite being only meters away from houses and busy streets, we had stumbled on something completely divided. It carried the years in plain sight but it never seemed like it was burdened with it, but rather had let the years shape it and mold it into something amazing. If what I've written doesn't inspire you to visit then nothing else will, but I can say that although each experience is unique, each one will take you to a different world that is not necessarily that of the divine, but more like one which translates an intersection where ripples of humanity and nature are the most harmonious. 

 

Abe Monjuin

Abe Monjuin is a temple at the southern end of Nara prefecture before the mountains of Wakayama prefecture. Founded in the 7th century, it is claimed to be one of the oldest temples in Japan. The temple is home to Monju Bosatsu, the Buddha of Wisdom, which is depicted as a wooden carving of the Buddha sitting atop the back of a great lion. With a sword in hand, Monju cuts through the ignorance in the world.

In addition to the temple's natural prominance as a premier temple of ancient Japan, Abe Monjuin is also the birthplace of famed figure Abe no Seimei, an onmyoji of the Imperial Court. Onmyoji were spiritual advisers that interpreted divinations, advised in spiritual counceling, and used wards and enchantments to ward off evil spirits. Abe no Seimei was exceedingly skilled in his duties that his family, the Abe, would be tasked with the Bureau of Onmyo until it was disbanded in the Meiji Restoration of the 19th century. Abe no Seimei quickly became a legend following his death and many of his deeds were embellished with spiritual overtones. For example, it was said that his affinity for divination was due to his mother, a fox whom his father had saved from a hunt and in tern she turned into a human and bore him a son. This means that Seimei was part yokai, or part mystic beast if you will, and therefore was also skilled at controling other yokai to do his bidding. Likely none of this is true, but the niche that Abe no Seimei occupies is the legends of Japan means that Abe Monjuin is a temple of divine and auspicious association.

For the casual: 4. For the educated: 8.

Abe Monjuin is a beautiful temple in southern Nara, but that's not why I rated this temple lowly for casual visitors. The temple takes some time to get to considering how far you need to travel if you're planning on visiting from somewhere like Osaka or Kyoto. With all that distance traveled, the temple really needs to have a serious visual draw to make it worth it all, but it doesn't. Abe Monjuin is far more suited to those that want to tap into the auspicious luck that the temple draws, or those who are familiar with the legends that surround the temple itself.

That being said, I don't want to snub the beauty of the temple or the images inside. The temple is small, but a hexagonal pavilion in the middle of a pond offers visitors a fairly beautiful sight. The pavilion is meant to be a center for divination, dividing the universe into its auspicious directions and the like. Inside the pavilion are some treasures of the temple on display as well as an altar to Abe no Seimei. The Hondo hall of the temple is home to the massive statue of Monju that I mentioned earlier. It was taller than I had expected and also far more beautiful. Photos of the statues are available online, but photographs indoors are prohibited. I do recommend visiting this temple for anyone who is willing to make the trip or is in the area, regardless of how I ranked the temple.

Hexagonal Pavilion in the lake.

Happy Year of the Dog with the complex in the background.

 

Kôryûji

Kôryûji is a temple in western Kyoto on the way to Arashiyama and Tenryuji. The temple was founded in the 7th century and is rumored to be the oldest temple in the Kyoto area, but most of the buildings date back to the 17th century. The temple is most noted for its statues, many dating back to the temple's foundation. Of all the statues inside, and there are a lot, the most noted are two wooden statues of the Bodhisattva Miroku. Miroku, also referred to as the future Buddha, is a Bodhisattva who is depicted in a seated position in a manner of contemplation. And that is his job. He thinks. Specifically though, he is trying to figure out how to make every living being on earth enlightened so that we all may release ourselves from the burden of reincarnation and can be at peace. When he does figure this out, he will become the new Buddha. Because of this, he is the Future Buddha in the Buddha triad of past, present, and future. Specifically, the statue of Miroku called Hokan-Miroku, is a very important statue because it was the first item recognized by the Japanese government as a National Treasure. All of that being said, there are more than just a few statues at Kôryûji and they all occupy significant and beautiful spots in the vast history of Japanese art.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 10.

Kôryûji is not a temple that many people get around to. Sure it doesn't have many of the draws of later and grander temples in Japan, but none the less this is one of the more important and beautiful temples in the Kyoto area. The landscape is small and secluded, so on a purely visual basis the temple is not that interesting, but if you're willing to spend the money to go inside, I suspect that you will enjoy the temple as much as I do. Photographs are forbidden inside the statue hall, so sadly you'll have to find pictures of the statues yourself, but it is such a beautiful place and I do look forward to going back. The smell of incense and ancient wood is just too perfect to be imagined, it must be experienced.

Ceremony first thing in the morning on New Years.

 

Hôryûji

Hôryûji. Where do you begin? One of the oldest temples in Japan? Check. UNESCO World Heritage Site? Check. Home of the oldest wooden structures in the WORLD?!?! Check. Hôryûji was founded at the turn of the 7th century by Prince Shotoku, known for being the author of one of Japan's first constitutions, reopening trade with China, adopting Chinese customs and technology, and propagating Buddhism through the construction of temples across Japan. The temple is one of the Three Great Temples of Nara alongside Todaiji and Kofukuji. The temple's oldest structures are the Chumon, Five-story Pagoda, and Kondo Main Hall which date back to some point in the Asuka Period (6th to 8th century C.E.), the period that predates the monarch of Japan using the title of "emperor". The five-story pagoda was taken apart in WWII for fear of fire bombings and was put together once again after the conflict had concluded.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

So. You're in Nara huh? Looking for something to do? Looking for a place to go? Well look no further. Sure Hôryûji isn't in the same place as all those other temples, but that's why it's great! Nara Park is a tourist trap with hungry deer waiting for you to drop your guard. Pshh no one needs to go there anyways, unless of course you're visiting Todaiji, the only temple I have rated 11/10. Otherwse... ok I take that all back, but still! Hôryûji is amazing. Talk about touching history, check this place out!

Ok first is the West Precinct. The West Precinct is home to the three oldest buildings mentioned earlier. Inside are some of the oldest Buddhist depictions in Japanese history. Though the Chumon gate is undergoing restoration over the next few years, the Kondo and pagoda are open for visit. Visitors can look into the pagoda for scenes from the Buddha's life carved into wood and to the Kondo main hall so see statues also dating from the Asuka period. At the north end of the precinct is the lecture hall where visitors can see the changes of Japanese Buddhist art from the Asuka period to the Heian period (9th to late 12th century C.E.).

That not enough for you? After the West Precinct you can go next door to the Gallery of Temple Treasures which holds anything and everything that the temple has been in charge of protecting be it tapestries, lacquer-ware, statues, or vessels. Almost everything in the gallery is an Important Cultural Item as decreed by the government with more than a few being recognized as National Treasures.

The East Precinct is is honor of Prince Shotoku with its own hexagonal hall called the Hall of Visions. Inside is a life size statue of Prince Shotoku with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas surrounding him.

I will pass on to you the same shame that was bestowed upon me by my friend and favorite art history professor, "You didn't go to Hôryûji? Brennan. There's no excuse for that." And with that, make sure you visit this temple.

The Kondo (left), Five-story Pagoda (right), and Chumon (center) under construction are the three oldest wooden structures in the world.

The Lecture Hall, not one of the oldest, but still a very old building all the same.