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Temples
Home » Japan » Japan - Activities and Attractions » TemplesThe place of worship for the Japanese Buddhists, temples exist in virtually every tiny municipality of Japan, while large cultural centers like Kyoto have several thousands of them. Temples store and display sacred Buddhist objects, and some of them historically and/or currently function as monasteries.
Structures typically found at Japanese temples are:
1) Main hall – The main hall serves as a display for the sacred objects of worship, such as statues.
2) Lecture hall – Lecture halls are used for meetings and lectures and also display objects of worship.
3) Pagoda – The pagoda, which evolved from the Indian stupa, usually comes with three or five stories. Pagodas store remains of the Buddha such as a tooth, usually in form of a representation.
4) Gates – These mark the entrance to the temple grounds. There is usually one main gate, and possibly several additional gates.
5) Bells – On New Year's Eve, temple bells are rung 108 times, corresponding to the Buddhist concept of 108 worldly desires.
6) Cemeteries – Most cemeteries in Japan are Buddhist and are located at a temple. The Japanese visit their ancestors' graves on many occasions during the year, especially during the obon week, the equinoctial weeks and the anniversaries.
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