Tranquil Japanese garden scene featuring ancient pagoda surrounded by lush greenery in Kyoto, Japan.Culture · Hidden gem

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

愛宕念仏寺

Arashiyama, Kyoto · 京都

A hillside temple at the far end of Arashiyama covered in 1,200 rakan statues, carved in the 1980s by ordinary visitors and now thoroughly mossed over.

Why it’s worth it

One is holding a tennis racket, another a cassette player. It is a genuinely funny, genuinely moving place, and almost nobody walks this far.

CategoryCulture
AreaArashiyama
Hours09:00–16:45
Typical spend¥
Hidden gemrakan statuesmossfunny

Nearby

Walking distance from Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

All of Kyoto

More culture

Shrines, palaces and quiet rooms

Photo by Karolina on Pexels