Toukoji Temple, Shizuoka

Find all the cute statues at this peaceful temple

Peter Sidell Nov 06, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>One of the more traditional Buddhist statues</p>

<p>This little lad is lurking in the foliage</p>

<p>Some of the statues do their best to stay hidden</p>

<p>That's a crane and a couple of frogs hanging out at the lantern</p>

<p>I'm not 100% sure what's going on here either</p>

<p>This guy is standing like a sentry at the entrance</p>

<p>And this feller is happy on his rock</p>

<p>Not entirely of the Buddhist tradition, but fun nonetheless</p>

If you're walking to the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art from the nearby station, it's worth taking a slight detour to stop off at Toukoji temple on the way. This small, peaceful temple is fun to visit and poke around because of the dozens of statues dotted around the compact grounds; there are traditional Buddhist figures and also a whole menagerie of animals, from cute bunnies and frogs in the grass to koalas in the trees and many more besides.

Peter Sidell @peter.sidell

I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.