Kyoto has more Buddhist statues than any other place in Japan. Some of them are National Treasures and a few are rarely open to public viewing.

However, all of them possess a mysterious power that is undeniable. The master sculptors that created them were so skilled that they were able to give each statue a unique spiritual energy. Below are three temples where Buddhist statues are particularly powerful and easy to see. Each of them has a fascinating background and each of them has the power to calm the heart of the viewer.

Anao-ji ???

Anao-ji Temple's "Reclining Buddha": This temple is the 21st station on the well-known 33-temple Western Japan pilgrimage route. Anao-ji's 85-year-old Buddha, as its name suggests, is reclined under a blanket.
Under the head is a lotus-flower-shaped pillow. The figure is a beautiful shiny black. When you gaze at it you can almost hear the Buddha's breathing.

There is a story about this Buddha that concerns a monk whose beautiful granddaughter was very sick. He searched for a Buddha to cure her and this was the one. Today, many people come here and rub the part of the Buddha where they are sick. Touching the Buddha at this location is completely OK.

Open: 9am-4pm. Entry: 300 yen. Access: Take the JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Kameoka Station in Kameoka to the west of Kyoto; then take a 15-minute bus ride to Anaoguchi bus stop. Tel: 0771 24 0809.

Seigen-ji ???

Seigen-ji Temple's "Juroku Rakan":...