In Nara Park, you can explore the world’s largest bronze Great Buddha, located in Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple). While most people tend to appreciate the bronze statue at Todai-ji’s main hall and then move on, if you venture a bit east from Todai-ji, you’ll discover “Nigatsu-do (February Hall)” and “Hokkedo (Sangatsu-do) (Eastern Great Temple Lotus Sutra Hall),” also known as ...
In Nara, you can encounter the world’s largest bronze statue at Todai-ji’s Daibutsuden. This colossal statue, measuring 15 meters in height and weighing approximately 450 tons, is enshrined as the world’s largest bronze statue. Todai-ji was established in 752 by Priest Gyoki, a descendant of the Baekje Kingdom, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Buddhism in Japan. The construction, led ...
Kofuku-ji, located at the heart of Nara Park, is a Buddhist temple and a symbol of Nara. It is home to the second tallest pagoda in Japan, standing at five stories. With a history dating back to 1399, this temple originated from the aspirations of Fujiwara no Kamatari, who founded it to pray for the recovery of his wife, Kagami ...
Gango-ji is a temple located in the heart of Naramachi in Nara. It can be read in Sino-Korean pronunciation as “Wonen-ji.” This ancient Buddhist temple is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Naramachi’s focal point, Gango-ji, was originally established in 596 AD in Asuka, the ancient capital, as Asukadera, Japan’s foremost (head) temple, following the relocation to its ...
In Kyoto, where various temples abound, one that stands out as widely recognized and frequently visited by tourists is the temple known as “Kiyomizu-dera.” Written in Chinese characters as “清水寺,” it is pronounced as “Cheongsusa” in Korean, and “Kiyomizu-dera” in Japanese. “Temple of Clear Water – Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)” Kiyomizu-dera, or the Temple of Clear Water, holds its name from the ...
After arriving at the hotel in Kyoto, unpacking our bags, we embarked on our journey to explore the city. The first destination on our list was “Kiyomizu-dera,” a prominent and representative attraction on the eastern side of Kyoto. During a previous visit in 2018, we had reached the vicinity of Kiyomizu-dera but were unable to explore its interior as we ...
If you exit Kyoto Station, pass by Kyoto Tower, and head a bit further north, you’ll come across Higashi Honganji Temple (東本願寺), one of the prominent temples in Kyoto known for its impressive scale. The main gate, “Amidado” (阿弥陀堂), and “Goeido” (御影堂) are particularly famous. Among them, Goeido, reconstructed in 1895 after being lost in a fire, stands out for ...
In the heart of Seoul’s Gangnam district, amidst the urban landscape, you can find a Buddhist temple. Bongeunsa, situated near Samsung Station, stands as the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, overseeing the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) hub of Korea, COEX, near COEX. Originally a mountain temple named Sudo Mountain Temple, officially referred to as ...
In the eastern part of Kyoto City, you can find a renowned temple known as “Kiyomizu-dera” in Japanese or “Cheongsusa” in Chinese characters, meaning a temple with clear water. “Founded in the Heian Period, Kiyomizu-dera” Kiyomizu-dera was established during the Heian Period. It is known to have been founded by General Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, the first Shogun of the Heian ...
This photo, considered one of Kyoto’s iconic images, features the backdrop of “Hokanji” located near Kiyomizu-dera. The path to Kiyomizu-dera, known as Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka, often provides a picturesque view of Hokanji, making it a popular spot for photography. “Hokanji, recognized as one of Japan’s iconic views in Kyoto.” Hokanji holds a significant place among Kyoto’s iconic views. When traveling ...
In Arashiyama, located in the western part of Kyoto, you can find various tourist attractions, including one of Japan’s renowned scenic spots, “Tenryu-ji Temple,” which is also recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Tenryu-ji Temple is famous not only for the temple itself but also for the garden with a pond that can be found within its premises. ...
Heading south in Osaka, there is a Buddhist temple that can be read as “Sacheonwangsa” in our native Korean characters. It is a Buddhist temple called “Shitenno-ji.” Although it may seem like a typical Buddhist temple, it has historical connections to Korea. This temple was originally established by Prince Shotoku in 578, who received three artisans from Baekje, an ancient ...