Adashino Nembetsu-ji Temple
Kyoto Prefecture · Japan
Adashino Nenbutsuji is located at the end of the Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street. The temple was founded in the early 9th century when the famous monk Kobo Daishi placed stone statues for the souls of the dead here. Today, the temple grounds are covered by hundreds of such stone statues. In the back of the temple, a short path leads through a bamboo forest.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation1:44
Welcome to Adashino Nembetsu-ji, one of Kyoto’s most hauntingly beautiful and spiritually significant sites. Located at the northern edge of the Sagano district, Adashino is a place where the thin veil between life and death has…
Listen in the app2Saisen-no-Kawara — The Riverbed of Stones1:38
As you pass the main gate, you are confronted by the Saisen-no-Kawara, a vast field filled with nearly 8,000 stone statues and markers. In Japanese Buddhist mythology, Saisen-no-Kawara is the riverbed in the underworld where…
Listen in the app3The 13-Tier Pagoda — Center of the Cosmos1:19
In the center of the stone field stands a tall, elegant 13-tier stone pagoda. This structure serves as the spiritual axis of the temple, a symbolic representation of the Buddhist cosmos and the path to enlightenment. …
Listen in the app4The Hidden Bamboo Forest — A Quiet Passage1:20
Behind the main temple grounds, a set of stone steps leads upward into a mini bamboo forest. This is one of Arashiyama’s best-kept secrets. …
Listen in the app5The Upper Cemetery — A View of Impermanence1:11
The path through the bamboo leads to an upper cemetery, a more modern burial ground that overlooks the ancient stone field below. From this elevation, the scale of the Saisen-no-Kawara becomes even more apparent. …
Listen in the app6The Main Hall and Amida Buddha — The Promise of Paradise1:14
Returning to the lower level, we visit the Hondo, or Main Hall. This modest wooden building houses the principal image of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light. …
Listen in the app7Saga-Torimoto Preserved Street — The Temple's Threshold1:16
As you exit Adashino Nembetsu-ji, you find yourself on the Saga-Torimoto Preserved Street. This historic road served as the traditional approach to the temple and retains the atmosphere of an old Kyoto village. …
Listen in the app8Closing1:17
Our visit to Adashino Nembetsu-ji concludes here, at the edge of the field of fleeting souls. We have traveled from the ancient rituals of Monk Kukai to the quiet shade of the bamboo forest, finding a unique form of beauty in a…
Listen in the app
What is Adashino Nembetsu-ji Temple?
Adashino Nembetsu-ji Temple is a place in Kyoto Prefecture · Japan with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Kyoto Prefecture · Japan |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Total length | 10 min 59 s in all |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 35.0267, 135.6647 |
| Last updated |
