The north-west of Kyoto, where Saga-Toriimoto Historical District is located, is also named "Adashino". This area used to be a place for an open-air burial (aerial sepulture). "Adashino" means a mutable place in Japanese. Adashino-Nenbutsuji Temple was founded to pray for the dead soul of those people.

In the middle of the Saga-Toriimoto Historical District, you will find the entrance of Adashino-Nenbutsuji Temple.

If you come into the temple, you will see beautiful moss gardens. A red apron on a stone statue is very impressive.

On the way to the main hall, there are eight thousands of stone Budda statues.

This area is named "Saino-Kawara", Torture of a dead man, where a dead child stacks stones in the world of the dead. As soon as the child stacks stones, an evil come and destroys the stacked stones. So that, the dead child has to repeat to stack stones.

Please be noted that taking pictures in "Saino-Kawara" is prohibited. The above picture was taken from the passageway surrounding of "Saino-Kawara".

At the south-west corner of "Saino-Kawara", the hall for "Enmei Jizo-Bosatsu" is located.

Behind the "Enmei Jizo-Bosatsu" hall, the main hall of Adashino-Nenbutsuji Temple is located.

When I visited, the front doors of the main hall were open and you could see the principal image of Buddha statue.

Behind the main hall, there are bamboo forests on a small hill. The approach road continues through the bamboo forests. The bamboo forests are very beautiful and they are very impressive.

After passing through the bamboo forests, the approach road reaches to the Statue of "Rokkaku-Rokumen Jizo", with a hexagonal cylinder shape. Six Jizo-Buddha statues are placed on each face of the hexagonal cylinder.

At the west end of Saga-Toriimoto Historical District, "Hiranoya" is located.

If you walk further to the west through the cut-through in a mountain, you will arrive at Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple. The below picture shows the Deva Gate in front of the temple.

The origin of Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple is Otagi Temple, which was located in Higashiyama Area in Kyoto in the middle of the eighth century. Otagi Temple was moved to the current place of Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple in 1922, but it became abandoned in 1950.

In 1955, Priest NISHIMURA Koucho(1915 - 2003) was requested to revive Otagi Temple from Enryakuji Temple. Priest NISHIMURA succeeded to achieve the request from Enryakuji Temple.

After passing through the Deva Gate, you will see many stone Buddha Statues.

Those stone Buddha statues were donated by visitors to Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temple from 1981. There are one thousand and two hundreds of stone status in total. They have variety of expressions. Some statue looks smiling.

On the way to the main hall located on a hillside, you will see traditional stone buddha statues. Red aprons are very impressive.

You will see the Jizo Hall on a precipice.

On the hillside, the two-storied pagoda and the "Aikannonndo" Hall are also located.

You will also see many stone Buddha Statues near the main hall. At Adashino-Nenbutsuji and Otagi-Nenbutsuji Temples, you will touch with prayers of many people.

How to get there
From downtown Kyoto, take a Randen Train to Arashiyama. Change a Kyoto Bus #62 bound for "Kiyotaki" and get off the bus at Toriimoto.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Tenryuji Temple
Sagano Area
Jojakkoji Temple
Gionji Temple
Saga-Toriimoto