Gohyaku Rakan (Photo: Anne Lauenroth)

Gohyaku Rakan in Kawagoe

Buddha's 540 stone disciples at Kitain Temple

Anne Lauenroth Oct 27, 2016 - 1 min read

Every statue was carved with a unique facial expression

Some statues are lying down

Intricately carved statue

540 Buddha statues at Kitain Temple

Covered in moss

Some are bigger and more impressive than others

Classic posture

Every statue is unique

These statues have withstood weather...

Sad, or just thinking?

His expression tells of a lot of life experience

Some statues come as pairs

A friendly statue

Brightly colored moss

Buddha in your heart...

...or an Alien?

Kitain Temple's 540 disciples of Buddha

An older gentleman

Accepting charity

Looking peaceful

Still withstanding weather and time

Less than an hour by train from central Tokyo, Kawagoe makes for a great day-trip destination. The city’s Kitain Temple not only features the last surviving buildings of the original Edo Castle, it is also home to the Gohyaku Rakan, 540 stone statues of Buddha’s disciples. Dating back to the 18th and 19th century, each of these statues was carved with a unique expression, with none of them looking alike.

More info

Find out more about Kitain Temple.

Anne Lauenroth

Anne Lauenroth @anne.lauenroth

German writer, translator and editor with a passion for travel, photography and all things Japanese. More about me and my work on www.allwordz.com and www.floating-worlds.com.