September 25, 2015

Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple

Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple

We were supposed to visit the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple but we got lost again. Otagi Nenbutsuji temple lies at the top of Arashiyama, at the last stop of the bus, while Adashino Nenbutsuji temple lies before Otagidera. Well there’s no one to ask because there were no other crowd – just us.

Nenbutsuji
Adashino Nenbutsuji
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is nothing like the other temples we visited. It was a burial ground during the ancient times, Heaian (793-1183) to the Edo (1615-1868) period. Although it’s literally a cemetery, it had the beauty and serenity of a Zen garden. The Buddha stones laid in the temple were neatly arranged and it looks more of a garden with a lot of statues and not a burial ground. 

Nenbutsuji
Main entrance.

Nenbutsuji
Burial stones at the entrance of the temple.

Nenbutsuji

Nenbutsuji

Nenbutsuji

The temple was said to have been founded by Kukai (774-835) who placed memorial stones for the dead buried in the area during the 9th century.  Later in the 12th century it was called Nenbutsuji where the teaching of Amida Buddha is practiced. 

Nenbutsuji

Nenbutsuji

The main building of the temple was built in 1712 which houses the statue of Amida Buddha by Tankei (1183-1392). About eight thousand Buddha stones are laid in the temple. During the ancient times gravestones are only made for the upper class of the society and only a few commoners. 

Nenbutsuji

At the temple is another bamboo path, smaller compared to the bamboo forest but nonetheless charming.

Nenbutsuji

Bamboo forest

The bamboo path is connected to another burial ground.

Nenbutsuji

On the evenings of August 23 and 24 around 1000 candles are lighted in honor of the souls of the ancestors. 

How to get there:

For Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
-Take City Bus C6 at the bus terminal outside Kyoto Station. 
-Tell the bus driver you're getting off at "Otagidera Mae". Kyoto bus drivers are polite so I guess you won't have a problem.  It'll take around one hour to get there.
-Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple is just a couple of steps away from the last bus stop.
-Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is a 5-minute walk from Otagi.

Kyoto Bus Terminal

Bus schedules as of February 2015.

Otagi Nenbutsuji
The gate of the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple.

Otagi Nenbutsuji
I told you, there were no other people around. Just cars.
 To help you with here's a map we got from a store owner near Otagi Nenbutsuji.

Arashiyama

Otagi Nenbutsuji

 Opening hours and fees:

Opening hours: 0900H-1630H (March to November)
0900H-1530H (December to February)

Fees: 500 Yen
**No photographing of the stones of Buddha. 


Goodnight! - donna



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