Tôchôji

Tôchôji is one of the most important temples in central Fukuoka. Standing in the Old Town area of Hakata, Tôchôji is considered the oldest esoteric buddhist temple in Japan, founded in 806 C.E. when the famed monk Kobo Daishi (Kûkai), returned from studying buddhism in Tang China. The temple was originally located closer to the sea, but was moved to its current location by the Lord Kuroda Tadayuki. The grounds of the temple include the tomb of Kuroda Tadayuki, the second lord of Fukuoka Province, along with Mitsuyuki (the third lord), and Harutaka (the eighth lord). The temple is also home to two noted statues: the Senju Kannon in the main hall which was carved from a single cedar tree in the Heian Period (794-1185 C.E.) and Japan’s largest the seated wooden buddha, the Fukuoka Daibutsu, carved in 1992.

For casual: 9. For educated: 9.

Tôchôji is a really splendid temple and right in the heart of Hakata. Really the entire Old Town should be walked through, but the temple is a great place to start because of the Daibutsu. The statue is upstairs on the second floor and only costs 200 yen to enjoy. I highly recommend walking through the passage beneith the statue where you can first enjoy 3D paintings of the various Buddhist hells. After that lovely trip down grusome lane, you descend into darkness. Be sure to keep a hand on the wall or on the wooden railing. Part of the experience is to trust the path, but along the way you will receive your reward. To keep things fun, I won’t say what you’ll see, but my family and I thought it was all such a great experience that we did it a second time the next day.

The grounds may not be the most lovely of the temples I’ve written about, nor are they the most expansive, but I just felt so warm and happy there. The scent of incense wafting from the pray hall, the beautiful trees keeping green in the dead of winter, and the great architecture setting the tone. I cannot recommend this temple enough for those in Fukuoka.

 

Zenkôji

One of the most famous temples in Japan is nestled in northern Nagano city and is actually the complex that the city of Nagano is founded around. Established by and named after Honda Yoshimitsu in 642 C.E. he acquired the first statue of Buddha brought to Japan with the influx of Buddhism from the Korean Penninsula in 552 C.E. Ever since, the temple has been a revered location to all. Even during the Sengoku Period (mid 15th to 17th century C.E.), battles in the Nagano area steered clear of the temple. The statue of Buddha is so sacred that it’s never been put on display in its entire history, though a replica its put on display every six years.

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

Zenkôji is really a beautiful temple and I highly recommend visiting if you have the chance. It’s architectual style is a mix of the flourishing and embellished stylings of Edo Period design and the more natural stylings of Imperial Court architecture. As a result, the buildings tower over their surroundings with gold and copper accents but retain their natural wood finish.

The main road to the temple is on an uphill slope which is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, and satelite temple halls. I highly recommend trying some miso ice cream from any of the vendors, it might be the best ice cream I’ve ever had. There’s a lot to see and enjoy as you make your way to the Sanmon, the temple’s main gate rebuilt in 1760 C.E. Visitors can climb the stairs inside and see the Monju Bodshisattva (the bodhisattva of wisdom) and the four Heavenly Kings.

The next gate is the Niomon which represents the boarder of the main temple complex. Between the Niomon and the Sanmon are most of the oldest shops as well as the dormatories (shukubo) where guests can spend the night if they sign up to join the early morning service (Oasaji).

Entrance to the temple is free for everyone unless you want to pray directly to the main buddhist altars. In addition to access to the main altars, visitors can experience the inner chamber below ground. This is a special experience where the guest, with shoes removed, follows the stairs below into pitch black where they follow the wall to find the “Key to Paradise.” This key, which is a real key, is said to provide wisdom, luck, and clarity to any who touch it.

 

Jindaiji

Jindaiji, a Tendai sect temple, is one of those temples that has such a wealth of history and yet is completely overlooked for larger, flashier locations. Founded in 733 C.E., Jindaiji claims to be the second oldest temple in the Kanto area behind Sensôji in Asakusa. While Sensôji is a massive complex which hosts thousands of visitors per day, Jindaiji is hidden away in a forest grove in central Tokyo Prefecture in Chofu City and only boasts large numbers of visitors on key dates like New Years, Setsubun in early February, Ganzandaishi Taisai in early March, and Jindai Jusanya in mid October. The temple has two halls, the Main Hall where general worship is performed to Amida Buddha, and the Ganzan Daishi Hall where Goma fire ceremonies are performed daily before statues of Fudô Myôô. The temple is also home to a national treasure: the Hakuhô Buddha. This statue is the oldest Buddhist statue in eastern Japan and was made in the late Asuka Period (c. 538 C.E. to 710 C.E.). The Asuka Period was noted for the first formal introduction and government support of Buddhism in Japan prior to the establishment of the Japanese empire of the Nara Period ( 710 C.E. to 794 C.E.).

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

There’s a lot to love about this temple, but I think the real draw is the surrounding area. The road to the complex is a beautiful tree-covered road with the sweetest little shops that have been in the area since at least the early 20th century. Because the mountain Jindaiji produces a spring a fresh water, the locals have used that water to make delicious and refreshing soba. For those who don’t know, soba is a buckwheat noodle that is very thin and often served in a broth either hot or cold depending on the time of year. The number of soba restaurants is so extensive that there is a statue of the bodhisattva Kannon using her power to protect soba. In her left hand is a container of buckwheat, the grain from which soba noodles are made, and in her right hand is a bottle of tsuyu which is the base for the broth served in most soba dishes. This adorable little shrine was installed in 1963 and celebrated 60 years bringing good luck and health to community in 2023.

Getting to the temple takes a little bit, but not much. It can be reached by bus from either Chofu Station or Kichijoji Station, or from Chofu Station it’s a 20 to 30 minute walk, which I recommend at least trying once because the neighborhoods are so beautiful.

The Main Hall with gilt Amida statue.

The Ganzan Daishi Hall.

Kannon Bodhisattva statue for the protection of SOBA NOODLES!!!!! The left hand hold buckwheat seeds, and the right hand holds a bottle of the broth soba is served in/with.

 

Yama-dera (Risshakuji)

Yamagata Prefecture’s Yama-dera, or Risshakuji as it’s officially named, is one of the most famous temples in the Tohoku region of Japan. Founded in 860 C.E. as a temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it’s specifically noted for being a source of artistic inspiration for famed haiku poet Basho, painters, and for photographers visiting today. The temple is a series of buildings scattered across the sheer cliff face of Mt. Hoju.

For the casual: 9. For the educated: 7.

This temple is really a beautiful complex with amazing foliage like massive ceder pines, Japanese maple trees, and other trees that turn the hillsides orange and red in autumn. The stair climb from the valley floor to the upper levels might be a bit steep, but it doesn’t take too long. The added sight of Japanese grandmas taking on the challenge is a shot to near anyone’s ego and is sufficient motivation to keep climbing when the going gets tough. However, like many rural temples, there are plenty of places to stop and catch your breath while looking at the stunning sights around you.

I do have a beef to pick with this temple, and I have to bring it up because it really affected my experience there. The monks at the temple are not nice people. I will often converse with the staff to humor my pride; a quick conversation in Japanese often distinguishes myself from most other tourists. When I asked them a simple question (in Japanese), the monk responded with a short answer that was not welcoming and actually on the verge of being rude. This happened multiple times because as I mentioned before, the temple is a series of buildings spread out across a cliff. I understand that I was one of a large number of tourists visiting that day, but I’ve also been to busier and more remote locations that treated guests like human beings. I was severely disappointed that possibly my one and only visit to this beautiful location was marred by such disreputable staff.

Yama-dera literally means “mountain temple.”