The place name of this temple ‘化野’ is pronounced as ‘Adashino’.
The word ‘Adashino’ has the meaning of “ephemeral” or “emptiness”.
This place was a place for an open-air burial in old days. Therefore it is said that many stone Buddhist images were erected here and there.
There is the place called “西院の河原(Sai-no-Kawara)” that such stone Buddhist images were collected in the precincts of this temple.
Sai-no-Kawara is the Riverbed of the Netherworld. That place is loaded with a stone and makes a tower, and to hope a memorial service.
It is said that there are more than 8,000 stone Buddhist images in this temple.
In addition, there is “Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple” which is famous for “1,200 stone Arhat statues” in the neighborhood of this temple.
Contents:
- About Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
- Thousands of Candle Festival at Sai-no-Kawara
- Illuminations event of the Atago-Kaidou
- Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) of Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
- How to get to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
- Hotel search & reservation around Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
1.About Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji (化野念仏寺 Adashino Nenbutsuji) is a Buddhist temple in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan. In 811 Kūkai is said to have founded a temple, then Honen altered it to the present Nenbutsuji. Situated high on a hill overlooking the city from the northwest, it sits in an area where since the Heian period people abandoned the bodies of the dead, exposing them to the wind and rain. Now, some eight thousand Buddhist statuettes, which had been scattered around Adashino then collected about 1903, memorialize the souls of the dead. During its well-known ‘sento kuyo’, a ceremony dedicated to the spirits of the dead, about ten thousand stone statues are lit up with candles.
引用(citation):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adashino_Nenbutsu-ji
Open：9:00~16:30(December, January, February : 15:30)
Admission Fee：500 yen(Adults),400 yen(Junior high / high school student)（Children below elementary school are free of charge.）
*1,000 yen (Only as for the period of obon festival)
Adress：17, Sagatoriimoto Adashinocho, Ukyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 616-8436, Japan
Phone Number：+81-75-861-2221
This temple was the Shingon Buddhism at the time of the establishment. However, this temple has been converted to the Jodo sect of Buddhism now.
Because worship time is different by a season, please be careful.
An admission fee is 500 yen (adults).
*1,000 yen (Only as for the period of obon festival)
The road before going to this temple is called “愛宕古道(Atago ancient road)”.
This road becomes the district where a historic building is built.
This temple is the small temple which there is in the northern part of Arashiyama.
A lot of stone Buddhist images of unattended soul are enshrined in the precincts of this temple.
These are pagodas surrounding Sai-no-Kawara.
You need to pass through a bell tower to go to Sai-no-Kawara.（It’s prohibited to take photos in Sai-no-Kawara.）
A lot of stone Buddhist images of unattended soul are also enshrined in Sai-no-Kawara.
(I have been taken a photograph from the outside of Sai-no-Kawara.)
These are trees of maple surrounding Sai-no-Kawara. The autumn colors of this temple are very beautiful in autumn.
A pagoda nestles calmly nearby stone Buddhist images of unattended soul.
This is the main hall of this temple. The Amitabha sedentary image which is the principal idol of thistemple is enshrined.
This is the road of bamboo forest following the graveyard.
This is the Ksitigarbha which consists of six Jizo Bosatsu images.
This is dagoba considered to be a place to put ashes of Buddha in.
This is a small Tenman-gu Shrine in this temple. It is Syncretization of Shinto with Buddhism. (○´艸｀)
2.Thousands of Candle Festival at Sai-no-Kawara
Sento Kuyo (Thousand Lantern Festival) is held on August 23 and 24 during the Jizo-bon period in this temple.
Date：August 23 ~ 24
Time：17:30~20:30(Start of the event:18:00~)
Admission Fee：1,000 yen
■Youtube：Sento Kuyo (Thousand Lantern Festival)
The light of the requiem is turned on in the precincts.
An admission ticket has been distributed. (The entrance is limited at the time of the congestion.)
The march of the priest begins at about 18:00.
A candle is distributed to a worshiper, and you light this candle for stone Buddhist images of unattended soul.
As the outskirts become dark, it becomes the fantastic atmosphere.
As time passes, the number of candles increases.
When it is past 19:00, the precincts are filled with the light of candles.
3.Illuminations event of the Atago-Kaidou
Illuminations event of the Atago-Kaidou is held at the same time of Sento Kuyo.
Date：August 23 ~ 25
Time：18:00~21:00
Admission Fee：Free
This festival is the 21th in 2,016 years. This is a very historical festival.
A road is lighted up with the light of the garden lantern during the period of the festival.
There is the garden lanterns of various designs. (○´艸｀)
It’s very whimsical. d(*ﾟーﾟ*)
The road near the temple was lighted up with many garden lanterns, too.
It is a very colorful garden lantern.
It is a very big garden lantern.
4.Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) of Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
Sumigaki is inscribed with black ink as “無縁仏の浄土(The heaven of unattended soul)”.
5.How to get to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
Nearest station of Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple is Keifuku Railway Arashiyama Station or JR Arashiyama Station.
It’s about 20~30-minute walk from nearest station.
I recommended that you take a bus or use a rent-a-bicycle.
■The timetable of the Kyotobus(Hankyu Arashiyama Station bus terminal departure)
・Bus routes are “62 or 64 or 72 or 94”.
You get on the bus bound for Kiyotaki (清滝), and get off at “Toriimoto (鳥居本) bus stop”.
The fare is 230 yen for one-way.
■Route Example (From Osaka station to Arashiyama station)
■Route Example (From Osaka station to Arashiyama station)
■Route Example (From Kyoto station to JR Saga-Arashiyama station)
■Keifuku Railway Arashiyama Station→Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
■When you take a taxi
From Kyoto Station：4,210 yen ~ 5,120 yen (about 20 minutes)
From Arashiyama Station：1,010 yen ~ 1,210 yen (about 10 minutes)
・Let’s show a taxi driver the following phrase.
・If you want to call a taxi, let’s show the following phrase.
[Phone number of taxi dispatch : Around Kyoto Station]*Japanese text only.
[Phone number of taxi dispatch : Around Arashiyama Station]*Japanese text only.
6.Hotel search & reservation around Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple
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Have a nice trip! XD
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We went to this Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple this November for autumn foliage. There’s so little information about this temple. I’m glad reading your blog and found out the summer illumination. It’s a gorgeous place. The bamboo grove too is quite an attraction. I wrote about this temple in my blog: tiptoeingworld.com
Cheers,
Mima
Thank you for your comments. I will be glad if I was of any help.
I read your Blog. It’s very wonderful!!