Anraku-ji (Yoshimi)
安楽寺 (埼玉県吉見町)
A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
What this place is
Anraku-ji (安楽寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the town of Yoshimi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Shingon-shū Chisan-ha sect and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Senjū Kannon Bosatsu (Sahasrabhūja), displayed only on June 18 annually. The temple's full name is Iwadono-zan Kōmyō-in Anraku-ji (岩殿山 光明院 安楽寺).The temple is the 11th stop on the Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage route. It is also called the "Yoshimi Kannon".
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
- Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
- Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.
What you can do here
- Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
- Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
- Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
- Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Good to know before you go
- Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
- Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
- Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.
Traveler reviews
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