Taicho-ji Temple: A Jizo Paradise

Say hello to the million small jizo statues here!

Takako Sakamoto Oct 14, 2014 - 1 minutos de lectura

<p>One of the small jizo statues sitting in its final resting place</p>

<p>Cemetery of broken jizo statues beside the bamboo grove which surrounds Taicho-ji Temple</p>

<p>Faceless jizo couple in the jizo cemetery</p>

<p>Rows of small jizo statues with the bigger one in the center at the top</p>

<p>Six jizo statues welcome you at the entrance of Taicho-ji Temple</p>

<p>In a group of small jizo statues there's a much smaller one, which looks like a child's statue</p>

<p>Close-up look at two of six jizo statues at the entrance</p>

<p>This is the first small wooden hut you'll find when you pass through the entrance gate of Taicho-ji Temple</p>

<p>The statue of 'Thinking Amida Nyorai Buddha', which is surrounded by small jizo statues</p>

<p>This is not a jizo, but a statue of tanuki （raccoon dog）standing at the foot of Taicho Daishi's statue!</p>

<p>Mischievous look of tanuki statue!</p>

<p>Another group of small jizo statues under a wooden hut on the temple grounds</p>

<p>Here's another one in a small wooden box-like shelter at the foot of some trees</p>

<p>Here's another one, too...I wonder why there are so many jizo statues in this temple?</p>

<p>Looking at the small wooden shelters of jizo statues in the forest</p>

Taicho-ji Temple in Fukui is the birthplace of the famous Shugendo monk, Taicho, who founded this temple at his birthplace just before he departed for climbing Mount Haku in 717. So, when I visited here, I just expected to see some temple buildings and Taicho-related artifacts. But what I found instead were countless jizo statues that stood in and outside the temple. Just beside the parking lot I found a 'cemetery' of broken jizo statues, which were casually piled up in a field. Then at the temple entrance I met six jizo statues, and another group of jizo statues. Inside the temple grounds there are many groups of them scattered around the vast forest. If you are a fan of jizo statues, this is the place for you to meet many of them!

Taicho-ji Temple Series

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...