What other travelers are saying about Isshin-ji Temple
This is a beautiful temple with a modern design. You will recognize something is different with this temple right away as you enter the initial doors. This temple has its guardians above the door in large statues. The doors are also carved with goddesses on the door panels. These are unlike traditional Japanese temples and shrines where the guardians are usually inside of a structure next to the doors. Once inside, you will find many of the usual structures but designed in new and modernized methods. Overall, a really nice experience.
A Unique and Moving Experience at Isshin-ji Temple
I had the opportunity to visit Isshin-ji Temple on a public holiday, and the experience was truly remarkable. The temple grounds were bustling with visitors, creating an atmosphere of reverence and celebration that was both impressive and touching to witness.
What makes Isshin-ji truly unique is its famous Okotsu Butsu, or "Bone Buddha" statues. These Amida Buddha statues are crafted from a mixture of resin and the cremated ashes of devotees. It's a profound and somewhat haunting concept that really makes you reflect on the cycle of life and death. Knowing that each statue contains the remains of around 200,000 people gives the temple a deeply spiritual and emotional resonance.
The temple's architecture is also noteworthy, blending traditional elements with strikingly modern designs. The main gate, with its contemporary steel and glass structure, stands in stark contrast to what you might expect from a Buddhist temple, yet it somehow feels perfectly fitting for Isshin-ji's unique character.
Visiting on a holiday allowed me to see the temple at its most vibrant, with many people coming to pay their respects or simply enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. The air was filled with the scent of incense and the soft murmur of prayers, creating a deeply immersive experience.
Isshin-ji offers a thought-provoking and emotionally moving visit that goes beyond the typical temple experience. It's a place where ancient traditions meet modern interpretations, and where the line between life and death seems to blur. I highly recommend a visit, especially if you can time it with a holiday to fully appreciate the temple's significance to the local community.
Isshin-Ji Temple, is a temple dating back to 1133 which incorporates 13 statues of Buddha made from thousands of followers' ashes. Six statues were destroyed during WW II, however a new statue is now made every ten years. There was a funeral today, so we were only allowed to see the outside of the remaining shrines. Amazing history and absolutely beautiful.
Buddhist temple that mixed old and new. Osaka doesn’t have an impressive temple offering so it might be worth going, but if you’ve been to Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo, I definitely wouldn’t go out my way to visit.