Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo

June 12, 2018 by David Herd

Sensoji Temple

Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo

Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo is the cities oldest temple. Senso-ji is the most widely visited spiritual site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually. The temple was completed in the year 645, making it Tokyo‘s oldest temple.

30 million visitors means it’s always busy here.

There are many festivals throughout the year in Asakusa, the most famous of them is the Sanja Matsuri, also known as Sanja Festival in May.

The purification process.

Prior to entering the temple take the ladle in your right hand and pour some water over your left hand. Then repeat the process using the opposite hands.

Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo incense burner.

Many people believe that touching the smoke with injured parts of the body may have a healing effect.

I’ll have one of those please…..

As you can see food is sold within the temple grounds.

Let’s dress up as a Geisha

A delightful tradition, many ladies & gorgeous young girls hire a Kimono to feel more in the moment at the Ancient Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo.

Don’t they look wonderful and happy?

It really is a joy to see their happy smiling faces.

Of course everyone wants a selfie with the girls. 🙂

And why not? They really look fabulous.

Lining up to see inside the temple.

There certainly is lots of gold inside the temple.

lets have a closer look.

Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo is rather spectacular don’t you think?

Kaminarimon or outer gate.

This fabulous gate has been destroyed & rebuilt many times throughout the ages.

Hashimoto Yakusi-do Temple

The temple houses a seating figure of Yakushi Nyorai (Physician of Souls).

Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo

In every nook & cranny there is something special to see at the amazing Ancient Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo.

Another beautiful setting.

Around every corner awaits a surprise.

A shopping arcade at the temple entrance.

As you can imagine there are lots of temple souvenirs here.

Finally the old & the new.

That’s the famous Tokyo Skytree, check out MY PHOTO BLOG from a previous trip.

One last shot of the gorgeous girls.

Thanks for visiting my Ancient Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo photo blog. Many more photo blogs below.

Tawaramachi Station

I stayed at the Agora Place hotel which was a wonderful location close to 3 metro stations Tawaramachi, Ueno & Asakusa. You can get an express train direct from Narita & you can catch the Shinkansen from Ueno. Book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

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Holiday Inn

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The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

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kiyomizu-dera buddhist temple Kyoto

June 11, 2018 by David Herd

A long climb to reach the Temple

Kiyomizu-dera buddhist temple

kiyomizu-dera buddhist temple Japan was founded in 778 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu. There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.

More steps when you get to the Temple.

I assure you going back down from Kiyomizu-dera buddhist temple is much easier. 🙂

Always crowds to contend with in the high season.

There are many advantages travelling in low season, less crowds, cheaper flights & hotels.

Coming down is much easier. 🙂

Lots of students even though it’s a Saturday.

Photo opportunity

Such a lovely Kimono on this very pretty lady.

Lets try another pose.

If you go to all the trouble to hire a kimono & dress up then you need to take plenty of photos.

Everybody loves the traditional dress

It’s so nice to see everyone dressed up.

A very busy ice-cream shop

On a hot day such as this soft serve ice cream really hits the spot.

Small parking spot.

A tight squeeze here but at least it’s off the road. These little boxy cars are very popular in Japan.

Kiyomizu-dera buddhist temple

It was about a 35 minute walk from my hotel, however the last 10 minutes was up a very steep hill.

Thanks for visiting my Kiyomizu-dera buddhist temple photo blog. The APA Hotel where I stayed is a great location with large rooms, as a bonus there is a Starbucks on the ground floor. For a really good room rate just book through THIS LINK, it will also give you free cancellation.

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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

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Todai-ji Buddhist Temple Japan

October 4, 2015 by David Herd

Spectacular Temple

Todai-ji Buddhist Temple Japan

Todai-ji Buddhist Temple Japan is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara”, along with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in the city of Nara. Deer are regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, hundreds roam the grounds and parks around the temple.

Many school children

Half the crowd were school children enjoying this beautiful temple.

During the Tenpyō era, Japan suffered from a series of disasters and epidemics. It was after experiencing these problems that Emperor Shōmu issued an edict in 741 to promote the construction of provincial temples throughout the nation.

An awesome breathtaking building

Todai-ji Buddhist Temple Japan is one of the most impressive temples I have seen in Japan.

Amazing statues

Magnificent huge statues at Todai-ji Buddhist Temple.

Daibutsu of Tōdai-ji

The principal image of the temple, a colossal bronze statue popularly called the Nara Daibutsu (Great Buddha of Nara), completed in 752, it was installed in its daibutsuden (great Buddha hall). The image embodied the Buddha Birushana who was regarded by the Kegon sect as the cosmic, central Buddha. Over the centuries the icon was severely damaged several times and finally restored to its present form in 1692. Most of the extant Todaiji buildings are restorations of earlier structures.

Bodhisattva statue Kokuzo Bosatsu

Bodhisattva statue Kokuzo Bosatsu inside the Daibutsuden Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji Temple in Nara.

Todai-ji Buddhist Temple

Totally inspiring.

Guardian statue inside the temple

The attention to detail is incredible.

Another Guardian statue inside the temple

A very frightening appearance.

Models of temple buildings

An intricate model of the building.

Another model

These models help put the scale into perspective.

Column at the Todai-ji Buddhist Temple

There is a square hole at the base of this massive wooden column where for some unknown reason people crawl through. There is always a friend at the other side to take the obligatory photo of course. 🙂

Fat kid through the hole

For a while there I didn’t think this fat kid would make it. 🙂

Hundreds of deer roam the area near the temple

Deer are regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, hundreds roam the grounds around the temple.

Pindola (Binzuru) statue

According to the earliest Indian sutra‘s Pindola Bharadvaja was one of four Arhats asked by the Buddha to remain in the world to propagate Buddhist law (Dharma). Each of the four was associated with one of the four compass directions.

Binzuru

Pindola is said to have excelled in the mastery of occult and psychic powers. He was once remonstrated by Buddha for misusing his powers to impress simple, ignorant people.

Incense Burner

There was an incense Burner at either end of the long walkway.

The other Incense Burner

I really enjoyed my visit to the Todai-ji Buddhist Temple.

Nobody is safe when I have my camera

Very cute indeed. 🙂

There are deer everywhere.

So tame and used to being hand fed.

Such a beautiful temple

Totally impressive and well worth the visit.

Todai-ji Buddhist Temple

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Wat Arun Bangkok Temple

December 11, 2013 by David Herd

The Temple of Dawn

Wat Arun Bangkok Temple

Wat Arun Bangkok Temple is known as the Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi west bank of the of the Chao Phraya river.

The temple derives its name from the Hindu god Aruna, often personified as the radiations of the rising sun. Wat Arun is among the best known of Thailand’s landmarks and the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence. Although the temple had existed since at least the seventeenth century, its distinctive prang (spires) were built in the early nineteenth century during the reign of King Rama II.

Undergoing some Maintenance

Wat Arun is quite fascinating, I found it every bit as interesting as the Grand Palace. For foreigners, the temple charges an entrance fee of 50 baht. Wat Arun figures in one of Thailand’s most colorful festivals, the Royal Kathin and the king travels down in the Thai royal barge procession to present new robes to the monks after their three-month lent period.

Colored Porcelain

The main feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower) which are encrusted with colorful porcelain. This is interpreted as a stupa-like pagoda encrusted with colored faience. The height is reported by different sources as between 66.8 m (219 ft) and 86 m (282 ft).

You can climb up the temple, I didn’t. 😕

Even Monks need a mobile phone.

It seems a little out of character, I always thought the monks had few possessions.

Did you see that Monk with a mobile phone?

I saw nothing, & I’m not saying a word, & I can’t hear you. 😆

Golden Buddha Wat Arun Bangkok Temple

Wat Arun Bangkok Temple of Dawn is really worth visiting, along with the Grand Palace as well.

Even Buddha’s need maintenance.

Like any good painter he has lined the wall with newspaper to stop the paint splashing.

Golden Buddhas

In Thailand too many Buddhas are never enough.

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Phra ubosot ordination hall.

A phra ubosot or short bot is a building in a Buddhist Wat. It is the holiest prayer room, also called the “ordination hall” as it is where ordinations take place. The term ubosot, shortened to bot in Thai colloquial speech, is derived from the Pali term uposathagara, which refers to a hall used for rituals on the uposatha days — the Buddhist Sabbath, which falls four times a month on the full moon, new moon, and eighth day after each.

Phra ubosot

An ubosot stands within a boundary formed by eight sema stones which separate the sacred from the profane, and thus differs from a viharn. The sema stones actually stand above and mark the Luk Nimit, stone spheres buried at the cardinal points of the compass delineating the sacred area. A ninth stone sphere, usually bigger, is buried below the main Buddha image of the ubosot. Both ubosots and viharns typically house Buddha images. The entrance side of most ubosots face east. Across from the entrance door at the end of the interior is the ubosot’s largest Buddha statue.

Wat Arun Bangkok Temple.

Everything is beautifully manicured at Wat Arun Bangkok Temple of Dawn.

Wat Arun Bangkok Temple of Dawn

Wat Arun Bangkok Temple of Dawn is a very imposing structure.

Thanks for visiting my Wat Arun Bangkok Temple photo blog.

Unbelievably, there are over 31200 Buddhist temples spread around Thailand. In Thai these are called wat. One of these, the Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn, is named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. Sitting majestically on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, the legendary Wat Arun is one of the most striking riverside landmarks of Thailand. Despite the name, the most spectacular view of the glittering monument can be seen from the east side of the river at sunset, when the spires of Wat Arun make an impressive silhouette against the skyline.

This Wat or Buddhist temple is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. In the mythology of Tibetan Buddhism, Mount Meru is a place that simultaneously represents the center of the universe and the single-pointedness of mind sought by adepts. Thousands of miles in height, Meru is located somewhere beyond the physical plane of reality, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. The four-corner prang of Wat Arun, which house images of the guardian gods of the four directions, reinforces this mystical symbolism.

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