Nishi Hongan-ji, (meaning the Western Temple of the Original Vow) is of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, and is, in a sense, a sister temple to Higashi Hongan-ji, just down the road. At one point they were one temple, but were split apart by Tokukawa Ieyasu in 1602 as a way to diminish their power. Even today, these are large temples. I visited on the morning of January 1st, the first day of the year, expecting a large crowd of worshippers, but it was relatively quiet. The grounds and buildings are spacious and large.
Larry Knipfing @larry.knipfing
Born on Long Island, New York in 1958, I have spent the last 30 years of my life living in Japan, and enjoying every minute of it! I especially love photography, and Japan is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph! My other love is fiction writing and I have pub...
