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A Pilgrimage to 108 Japanese Temples

One hundred and eight is a significant number in Buddhism.
One hundred and eight is the number of passions,
which delude humans and bind to the Wheel of Samsara.
Therefore, one hundred and eight
is the number of times temple bells are rung at the end of the old year,
so that the heavy resonation symbolically cleanses from all false bonds.
Therefore too, one hundred and eight
is the number of beads on Buddhist rosaries,
so that one prayer will be said for release from each empty attachment.
And often one hundred and eight is the number of temples in a pilgrimage,
so that with each visit ties and allurements are left further behind.
Here is such a private pilgrimage,
after peace and solitude,
the beauty of art and nature,
the solace of incense and candles.

1. Kiyomizu Temple (Kyoto). “The All-Time Temple.”

The pilgrimage starts in Kyoto, in Kiyomizudera, the ‘all-time temple,’ which receives all and sundry under its wide and welcoming eaves. Here the fresh pilgrim implores the assistance of the Bodhisattva Kannon, who will provide guidance under its thirty-three aspects. From the large platform of the temple, on huge pillars jutting out from the hillside, I look towards the city, today caught in a haze, and think about which temples to visit next. More…

2. Higashi Honganji (Kyoto). “Hall of Compassion.”

First I pause in the welcoming halls of Higashi Honganji, a huge temple standing at the entrance of Kyoto, the Buddhist capital. Paradoxically, Higashi Honganji provides a refuge from the city to which it is the gateway. The temple is a fitting tribute to Shinran, a Buddhist reformer who taught that all will be saved who simply have faith in the Buddha Amida. More…

3. Hokongoin (Kyoto). “The Lotus in the Mud.”

The lotus is a flower heavily charged with Buddhist symbolism. It rises up from the mud, as if breaking free from all earthly bonds. In Hokongoin I unexpectedly come across a summerly riot of these flowers. In the temple hall, a beautiful Amida statue looks on as if gazing at his Paradise… More…

4. Kozanji (Kyoto). “The Monk in the Tree.”

From the lotus garden and its symbolism I drift further out of town to Takao, where I visit Kozanji, the temple of the famous medieval priest Myo-e. Except for the beautiful Sekisui-in Hall, previously Myo-e’s residence, most of the temple consists of dilapidated halls in a deep forest and ruins on mossy ground. The trees remind me of a painting in the Kyoto National Museum, depicting Myo-e meditating in a tree… More…

5. Rokuharamitsuji (Kyoto). “Hell and Mad Saint.”

In mid-August, the souls of the dead are called back to earth for the Bon festival and I visit Rokudo, an area in the city where the link with the other world is especially strong. Rokuharamitsuji is the temple of Kuya, a 10th c. saint and early propagator of Pure Land Buddhism. I find him in the temple’s museum, still chanting and banging his gong, with six small Amida statues on his tongue. More…

6. Honenin (Kyoto). “Scattered Flowers.”

Honen (1133-1212) was the founder of Pure Land Buddhism and the teacher of Shinran, whom I already met at the second stage of my pilgrimage. I go to meet Honen in a small and peaceful temple, lying at the foot of the Eastern Hills and carrying his name. Sitting on the veranda of Honenin’s main hall, I see flowers scattered on the floor at the feet of the Buddha Amida. They represented the host of Bodhisattvas who accompany him when he descends to earth to save us, humans… More…

7. Ginkakuji (Kyoto). “The Bonfires of Kyoto.”

The Temple of the Silver Pavilion or Ginkakuji is an exquisite esthetic retreat, a safe haven in the storms of the world. The pavilion stands in a beautiful pond garden and, fortunately, displays its plain wooden walls without a trace of a silver coating. The only treasure of Ginkakuji is the silvery moonlight, reflected into the garden by a sandy mound at the entrance. More…

Unnumbered (Bangai) Kinkakuji (Kyoto). “A Golden Phantom.”

After having revisited the Silver Pavilion and enjoyed its garden, I become curious to see the Golden Pavilion once more as well. I find it sagging under too much fresh gold, although the first view from over the lake is still beautiful. But the management of this tourist spot is too businesslike and I do not find the right atmosphere for a pilgrimage. I therefore include the Temple of the Golden pavilion in the “unnumbered” or “bangai” category, temples visited on the pilgrimage that do not belong to the spiritual core. Only the the pavilion’s reflection in the lake is memorable… More…

Unnumbered (Bangai) Ryoanji (Kyoto). “Stones in the Sand.”

Another temple hampered by too much tourism is Ryoanji, which lies not far from Kinkakuji. I revisit this second bangai temple because I want to probe the mystery of its famous stone garden. Instead of a deep Zen experience, I find a very practical solution… More…

8. Enryakuji (Shiga). “The Eternal Flame.”

Enryakuji is a large monastery on Mt. Hiei, to the northwest of Kyoto. Founded in 788 by Saicho as a study and meditation center, it grew into a church wielding enormous power. Under the towering cedar trees on the mountain I try to find the original Saicho. I also attend an early morning service where the monks chant about the emptiness of all things and the futility of attachments… More…

9. Toji (Kyoto). “A Mystic Mandala.”

Toji was established by Saicho’s contemporary, Kukai, and stood next to the Rashomon gate as an esoteric protector of Kyoto. The temple halls are filled with mandalas and wondrous statues, which always give me great energy. I am especially fond of the statues of the Fudo Myo-o, the Kings of Bright Wisdom, fierce-looking deities who destroy all illusion. They almost explode with anger at evil in the world… More…

10. Asukadera (Nara). “A Battered Buddha.”

In the fields south of Nara, littered with old graves and other historical remnants, stands a hall that protects Japan’s oldest Great Buddha statue. It was here that Buddhism was first celebrated by the Japanese elite with a large temple and pagoda. The clan who established it, later fell by its own hubris, not having learned anything from the teaching they had supported. Only the Shaka Buddha remains, battered by fire and accidents, and badly repaired, so that his face looks particularly sad. As if he mourns the state of the world… More…

11. Horyuji (Nara). “A Prince and his Temple.”

As art treasures go, Horyuji is by far Japan’s richest temple. It is also the oldest temple still surviving in a set of the original, wooden buildings, now 1,300 year old. Inside its compound, I feel as if slipping back to the 7th century. The temple is pervaded by the presence of its founder, Prince Shotoku, who has been called Japan’s first Buddhist. Later, Prince Shotoku himself came to be venerated as an incarnation of the Kannon… More…

12. Yakushiji (Nara). “An Imperial Healer.”

In Yakushiji, a temple dedicated to the Healing Buddha and founded in the 7th century by Emperor Tenmu, I encounter a very noble and powerful Healing Buddha. There is also a wonderful pagoda from 730, as well as a graceful 8th c. Kannon statue. In the end, I feel more attracted by the compassion of the Kannon that the imperial grandiosity of the Yakushi… More…

13. Kofukuji (Nara). “A Dream of a Temple.”

Kofukuji in Nara Park is now only a sad remnant of what was a vast complex, with several halls imitating the paradise of different Buddhas. Except for some statues in the Hokuendo, Tokondo and Nanendo, what is left of this rich visual storehouse has now been gathered in the temple museum. The boyish Ashura, standing in earnest prayer, attracts the most attention, but there is a whole host of wonderful statues. It is like a dream of what once was a great temple, a dream of paradise… More…

14. Todaiji (Nara). “A Buddha for the State.”

Todaiji is an imperial temple, with an imperial Buddha. Founded in 752 by Emperor Shomu and placed at the apex of a system of state temples, Todaiji flourished and decayed with politics. Both the temple and its Great Buddha were twice destroyed and rebuilt. The Main Hall and its Daibutsu are therefore now in Edo-period style. What is left of the original temple, has been gathered in the Sangatsudo and Kaidanin: a marvelous but also somewhat sinister Fukukenjaku Kannon, well-balanced clay statues of the Four Kings, the fierce Shukongoshin. Testimony to the expert restoration in the late 12th c. are the giant Nio statues by Unkei and Tankei in the Great South Gate. But what has given the temple a foundation among the people of Nara, is the Omizutori Festival in March, when from the Nigatsudo purifying sparks are rained down on the crowds… More…

15. Toshodaiji (Nara). “The Willpower of a Chinese Priest.”

Toshodaiji is one of the most beautiful temples in Nara, a place I often visit to see the impressive statues in the open Golden hall: the solemn Birushana, the Yakushi, and the giant Thousand-Armed Kannon, who really has a thousand arms. Toshodaiji was founded as the private chapel of the Chinese priest Ganjin, who had been invited to Japan to transmit what was seen as the orthodox ordination, from master to disciple, reaching all the way back to Sakyamuni. Ganjin underwent countless hardships to reach japan and in the process lost his eyesight. I also pay my respects to his grave, at the back of the temple, and in my mind’s eye see the beautiful portrait statue sculpted just before his death… More…

16. Muroji (Nara). “Kannon in the Land of Dragon Spirits.”

Muroji is a village temple, standing in a wonderful sacred landscape, in the mountains south of Nara. It is a land of dragon spirits and magical transformations. Besides a delicate five-storied pagoda, the two temple halls house a large array of wondrous statues: a Kannon who looks like a village beauty, a black-lacquered Jizo, a powerful Shaka. Muroji is not easy to reach, but my visit here is an inspiring experience and one of the highlights of my pilgrimage. More…

17. Joruriji (Kyoto). “Double Paradise”

Joruriji, a temple in the hills close to Nara, incorporates a double paradise: that of the Yakushi in the Pagoda, that of Amida in the Main hall. The Healing Buddha helps with the matters of this world, including health, and the Amida receives believers into his Western Paradise, the Pure Land. Interestingly, in the early 11th century that paradise was conceived as just such a hierarchical place as Japanese society: it had nine ranks, each symbolized by its own Amida. The best seats in this religious theater were of course reserved for the aristocracy and sponsors of the temple. Although I don’t fancy this feudal philosophy, the Amida statues sculpted in the style of Jocho are serenely beautiful. But even greater is the rare statue of Kichijoten, the goddess of Good Fortune. Only shown a few times a year, the goddess embodies the ideal feminine beauty of ancient China, mature and a little bit plump. The colors on the statue have been so well-preserved, that it almost seems as if blood is streaming through her veins… More…

18. Shitennoji (Osaka). “Osaka’s Downtown Temple.”

Shitennoji in downtown Osaka has been rebuilt in concrete, but traces its founding to the early 7th century. The temple is associated with the legend of Prince Shotoku and this association has made it popular among the people of Osaka. The main statue, a Guze Kannon, is seen as the Prince’s reincarnation. Many treasures in the temple museum also claim some connection with the Prince. But most impressive are the 12th c. fan-shaped booklets, with pictures of ordinary people, painted under phrases from the Lotus Sutra. It is their faith that keeps the temple alive also today. More…

19. Sensoji (Tokyo). “Tokyo Jamboree.”

Now back in Tokyo, I first visit the temple that is older than the megapolis: Sensoji in Asakusa, founded in the 7th century when two fishermen miraculously hauled up a golden Kannon statue from the waters of the bay. The reed land of ancient times has been turned into a fairground, a jamboree… More…

Unnumbered (Bangai): Sengakuji (Tokyo). “Tokyo’s Moldering Heroes.”

Another famous Tokyo temple is Sengakuji, linked to the legend of the forty-seven Ronin and their grisly revenge. Although still popular among older Japanese, I am relieved to see that the statues of these feudal “heroes” are rotting away… More…

Unnumbered (Bangai): Zenpukuji (Tokyo). “Temple and Politics.”

Zenpukuji is the stage of another tragedy, this one set at the end of the feudal age when the first Westerners came to Japan. A band of fanatics kills a young foreigner… More than a century later, both the killers and their victim are just dust in the wind of history and all that remains is the magnificent gingko tree in the temple grounds. More…

20. Kotokuin (Kamakura). “The Model Buddha.”

Another visit to the Buddha Amida, this time in its most famous incarnation in Japan: the bronze colossus in Kamakura. The Great Buddha has lost his temple and sits “amid the dew,” in a pose of infinite serenity against the backdrop of green hills… More…

21. Chuzenji (Nikko). “The Living Tree.”

Just like Kamakura, Nikko is a busy tourist center, but up at Lake Chuzenji stands a small temple housing a magnificent ancient Kannon statue, cut from a living tree. Behind the temple, the cone of Mt. Nantai rises up, thought to be Pokalaka, the paradise of Kannon, whose figure is now and then reflected on the waters of the lake… More…

Unnumbered (Bangai): Ryukakuji (Chiba). “Temple and Tomb.”

Fall turning into winter. In this late season I hike along an autumnal field of ancient graves, where I find the ruins of an ancient temple, Ryukakuji. There is not enough left to number it among the “108,” but it made all the same a deep impression… More…

22. Heirinji (Saitama). “The Last Wood at the End of Tokyo.”

Heirinji, on the border of Tokyo and neighboring Saitama prefecture, stands in a small forest, the last remnant of nature here. It is a quiet, rustic Zen temple. Gardeners are burning fallen leaves and the smoke of the fires speaks of the evanescence of life… More…

Unnumbered (Bangai): Shofukuji (Tokyo). “Tokyo’s Forgotten Treasure.”

Not far from Heirinji, I also find Shofukuji, Tokyo’s only “national treasure-class” piece of architecture. In the rays of the low winter sun, the arched roof of the temple has an almost sensuous curve. But although the building is worth the trip, it is closed and there is no temple atmosphere. I therefore decide to include this temple, too, in the Bangai category. More…

23. Shuzenji (Izu). “A Deadly Tub.”

Now a garish spa town, Shuzenji once was the scene of the murder of Yoriie, in a struggle for succession of the shogunate. Most aptly, he was killed in his bath. The temple owns a grisly mask, said to be Yoriie’s death mask, and when dusk falls on the winter day the shadows reenact the drama… More…

24. Oyaji (Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref.). “Temple in the Land of Stone.”

Outside Utsunomiya, in a land of craggy rocks, are large stone quarries. One of them, a huge cathedral-like cave, is still in operation. The soft Oya stone has also been used to carve a beautiful Thousand-Armed Kannon in a grotto that now forms the main hall of Oya Temple. Her many arms spread around her like a halo, the Kannon seems to float upon the rock face line an apparition… More…

25. Eiheiji (Fukui). “A Zen Forest.”

A sudden visit to Fukui offers me the chance to visit Eiheiji, one of Japan’s most pristine Zen temples, standing in a beautiful autumn forest. It faithfully preserves the precepts of its founder, Dogen, who emphasized the importance of doing ordinary chores with an aware mind. One can even reach satori brushing one’s teeth… More…

26. Ganjoji Amidado (Iwaki, Fukushima Pref.). “Paradise in the Coal Hills.”

In the dreary coal hills of Iwaki, I unexpectedly find a beautiful Amida hall, standing in the restored remnants of a Paradise Garden. I enjoy the faded brown wood colors of the old hall, a refuge from the garish present. More…

27. Anrakuji (Bessho Onsen, Nagano Pref.). “Spa and Pagoda.”

In the spa town of Bessho, in Nagano, I discover a delicate, octagonal pagoda, standing in the heavy snow among frozen graves. Despite the cold, the pagoda on the hill seems like a ballerina, its complicated, false roofs like swirling skirts… More…

28. Zuiganji (Matsushima, Miyagi Pref.). “A Zen View.”

Zuiganji in Matsushima is famous for its gorgeous Momoyama-period screen paintings. The family chapel of warlord Date Masamune, it is more a castle than a temple. But I discover its spiritual truth in the Zen caves, where monks used to meditate, with a view of the spectacular bay… More…

29. Yamadera (Yamagata Pref.). “Mountain Temple.”

Yamadera is, as the name says, the archetypal mountain temple, its halls strewn out over a sheer cliff, with steep staircases leading up. It is also the mountain of the dead, as the many grave markers covering its flanks indicate. When dusk falls, souls seems to flutter in the wind… More…

30. Chusonji (Hiraizumi, Iwate Pref.). “Golden Glitter in the North.”

The Golden Hall of Chusonji is a fitting symbol for human vanity, carried even beyond the grave. The glittering altar, smothered under Amida statues, was built to provide the leaders of a northern dynasty with first-class seats in heaven, as they lay buried beneath the temple. More…

31. Motsuji (Hiraizumi, Iwate Pref.). “Paradise Garden.”

Like neighboring Chusonji, Motsuji once was a splendid temple, the pride of a Buddhist city in the far north. But the city has vanished and all that remains of the temple is a gem-like “paradise” garden. More…

32. Kokusekiji (Mizusawa, Iwate Pref.). “The Buddha Yakushi and his Wild Generals.”

In Kokusekiji, an almost unknown temple, I discover a strong Healing Buddha and his band of wild generals, statues symbolizing the rough power of the North… More…

33. Bishamondo (Towa, Iwate Pref.). “Protector of the North.”

In the attractive countryside of Towa, not far from Hanamaki, stands a Bishamon Hall, housing a huge wooden statue of this Protector of the North. Sitting at the feet of the giant statue, I feel dwarfed by this explosion of vitality. More…

34. Tendaiji (Ninohe, Iwate Pref.). “The Soul of the Trees.”

In Ninohe I find a mountain where a forest of ancient trees has been cut down for short-sighted profit. Jizo statues guard the tree stumps. The soul of the trees lives on in the beautiful Kannon statues of Tendaiji, an old temple sitting on the mountain. More…

35. Kozoji (Kakuda, Miyagi Pref.). “A Hole in the Heart.”

Kozoji is not more than a small hall with an old thatched roof, housing two Amida statues. One of them has his heart eaten out by mice… More…

36. Daizoji (Fukushima). “Buddha Bits and Pieces.”

On Benten Hill in Fukushima City I find Daizoji, with a beautiful Thousand-armed Kannon statue, surrounded by numerous bits and pieces of other statues that did not survive the bumpy ride through history. Although the Kannon is great, these sad Buddha pieces are perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this small mountain temple. More…

37. Gumyoji (Yokohama). “Yokohama’s Neighborhood Kannon.”

Back in Tokyo, I further explore Eastern Japan. A few days before Omisoka (New Year’s Eve), in the season called shiwasu, when everyone is running around busily to settle matters of the Old Year, I come across another Kannon sculpted with the nata-bori technique: in Gumyoji, a small temple standing at the head of a downtown shopping street. More…

38. Hinata Yakushi (Isehara, Kanazawa Pref.). “Tokyo Mountain Temple.”

On New Year’s Day I visit a temple in the mountains near Tokyo, where I find a fine Yakushi triad and get a sermon as bonus. More…

39. Daienji (Tokyo). “Atonement of a Temple.”

A small temple in Meguro’s concrete jungle has a tragic set of arhats, set up to atone for a devastating fire, but I also find a beautiful Shaka statue. More…

40. Gohyaku Rakanji (Tokyo). “The Buddha and his Disciples.”

More arhats, this time a wooden set sculpted by one priest and originally installed in the Turbo Shell Hall of one of Edo’s most wonderful temples. The arhats have been placed around the Shaka, if they are still listening to his preaching on Vulture Peak… More…

41. Sugimotodera (Kamakura). “The Three Kannon of Kamakura.”

One of the oldest temples of Kamakura houses three Kannon statues in its dim interior. I wonder about the wars and devastation they saw in the military capital… More…

42. Ganjojuin (Nirayama, Shizuoka Pref.). “A Wish Fulfilled.”

In the center of the Izu Peninsula stands a temple with a Amida who is said to fulfill wished for this life instead of the next. The temple was originally built to help the attack on Chusonji by the Minamoto clan… More…

43. Shomyoji (Yokohama). “Japan’s Oldest Library.”

On a rare day with heavy snow I visit the remnants of an old temple, a medieval center of culture with a large library, standing in a beautifully restored pond garden… More…

44. Jingoji (Kyoto). “Breath of Holiness.”

In cold winter time I visit Takao in Kyoto again, now to see the strong statue of the Yakushi in Jingoji. The Medicine Buddha is impressive, but I am even more stirred by the fresh, sacred air of the mountain… More…

45. Kuramadera (Kyoto). “The Dark Side.”

Kurama, to the north - the dark side - of Kyoto, is also covered in deep snow. I come to meet the Bishamon statue, but the hall is closed in winter. The Hidden Protector covers my back when I descend the mountain, in the growing darkness… More…

46. Kanimanji (Kyoto). “The Grateful Crabs.”

Kanimanji in the countryside between Kyoto and Nara traces its origin to a legend about a young maiden, a crafty snake and seven grateful crabs. The temple also houses one the most beautiful early Shaka statues of Japan… More…

47. Doganji (Takatsuki, Shiga Pref.). “The Lady of the Lake.”

In the snow country north of Lake Biwa I find one of the most beautiful esoteric Kannon statues in Japan: an Eleven-headed Kannon with a serene face but at her back a head contorted in terrible laughter…as if it is laughing all evil away. For many centuries, this Kannon has been protected by the piety of the villagers… More…

48. Daizenji (Katsunuma, Yamanashi Pref.). ” The Grape of Life.”

In the wine country of Yamanashi prefecture stands an ancient temple hall dedicated to the Healing Buddha. Instead of the usual medicine jar, the Buddha carries a grape in his hand. The priest claims it actually was the temple that started the cult of the grape… More…

49. Hokoji (Enzan, Yamanashi Pref.). “Shooting at Heaven.”

In an ancient but unknown temple in Enzan I discover beautiful esoteric statues. The best one is Aizen Myo-o, a red-faced wrathful deity who aims his bow at heaven while glaring at me with bulging eyes. Aizen is the Japanese god of love… More…

50. Jindaiji (Tokyo). “Tokyo’s Oldest Buddha.”

In a patch of green in the western suburbs of Tokyo stands Jindaiji, one of the oldest temples in the metropolitan area. It displays a small but fine bronze statue of Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, seated on a chair. The Shaka with his friendly face can be dated to about 700 … More…