#Takaoka

The Zuiryū-ji is a Buddhist temple in Takaoka (Toyama Prefecture) from back in 1613.

They started expanding the grounds in 1645. When it was finished in 1663, it covered a massive 118,800 m² and was surrounded by two moats.

The Buddha Hall is right in the centre. It’s flanked by the main gate, a prayer hall with a tea house, a Zen building for meditation, and a dining hall. Corridors link the side buildings together.

You’ll find Zuiryū-ji between the Shin-Takaoka and Takaoka railway stations, and it’s about a 15-minute walk from either one. Entry is 500¥.

Today we were in the neighbouring town of Takaoka, where hardly any tourists ever wander off to. There was a lovely temple complex called Zuiryū-ji to see, as well as a Buddha sitting out in the open.

Besides that, we went to the little village of Kagaonsen, which caught our eye on the drive to Kanagawa because of a huge golden statue on a hill. We couldn’t find anything about it in travel guides, so we just drove over and found a temple complex in a deep slumber. Some of the buildings were in a pretty sad state, but we got a personal tour and saw a hall with 1,188 golden Buddha statues, a 10-metre tall gilded bell and a 17-metre tall 5-storey pagoda, in gold of course. The statue on the outside is an impressive 73 metres tall. Back in the day, it really must have been quite the attraction. For us, it’s one of those surprises that makes us love coming back to Japan time and time again.