Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple

If there was an award for the quirkiest temple in Kyoto, this here is the winnah, no doubt about it. Sure, there are more unequivocally gorgeous sights, the usual suspects like Kinkaku-​ji or Kiyomizu-​dera, but this one is definitely worth a journey to the far end of the scenic Arashiyama district deep into the lush green hills. Why? It’s the sight of 1,200 stone sculptures of rakan (photo:
). They are meant to represent Buddha’s disciples, and at first glance, you think they all look the same. Then you start to realize each one has a different personality, some quite comical like this tennis player (photo:
).
Most are covered with a spread of moss that actually makes them look like they have hair. Even though the temple itself dates back the 8^th century, the stone statues were carved and donated between 1981 and 1991 when individual worshippers celebrated the survival of the temple through all the typhoons, floods and civil war that ravaged the grounds. There’s a main hall where you can see a thousand-​armed Kannon statue, figuratively speaking of course. Jamie W. and I were lucky since our guide Hiro took us here and knew everything about this place. Otherwise you can take a local bus to the ‘Otagi dera mae’ stop from the Saga-​Arashiyama station. Admission is just ￥300.

This was one of my favourite temples in Arashiyama and possibly all of Kyoto.
Otagi nenbutsuji is at the end of a little country road not far from another temple with a similar name so be careful you don’t end up in Adashino nenbutsuji instead.
Otagi has hundreds of small Buddha sculptures, each one slightly different from the next. They are very cute. It’s a lovely temple and well worth visiting as it is off the beaten track and not as visited as some of the better known temples.

Apartado del circuito habitual de Arashiyama, está el pequeño templo de Otagi, con 1200 rakan cubiertos de musgo.
Es un lugar tranquilo entre la vegetación que resulta curioso por las mencionadas estatuas de piedra, muchas de ellas con objetos graciosos y modernos como un radiocasete o una raqueta de tenis. Con su objeto particular, los pequeños rakan saludan sonrientes al visitante y, si hace buen tiempo, la luz que se filtra entre las hojas de arce japonés es delicada y evocadora.
Me encantó por la escasa afluencia de visitantes y por la naturaleza exuberante que lo rodea. Es un lugar cuya visita recomiendo si se está por la zona y se quiere visitar algo menos típico.

Otagi Nenbutsuji is a neat little temple in the northern part of Sagano. I’d recommend biking there if you can.
This place had cool little monk statues. Some might think they’re pretty cute.