Hiking in Tono, the village of stone Buddha stagues at Kizugawa City in Kyoto Prefecture.
This area adjacent to Nara is where monks lived quietly after leaving their homes practicing the religion during the Nara period (710-794).
Enjoy the natural beauty the gardens and the beauty of Buddha statues of the national treasure status at the two temples and walk along the same paths priests actually walked contemplating the Buddhist theachings.
Different Buddha statues including the serene Buddha statue with a gentle smile welcomes you here along the way as they have done for many centuries.
The walking path from Gansen-ji temple to Joruri-ji temple is about 2km.
Buddha statues carved out of stone by the people who lived in this area are still found along thie path. Especially popular is the statue known as the ""smiling Buddha"" with its gentle smile keeps mesmerizing even today's hikers. Lets walk among nature imagining devotees of those times, their beliefs and lifestyles listening to the birds and refreshing in the always present gentle breeze. Along the path are the Buddha statues carved out of stone by people who lived in the area during those times. Hiking takes about an hour. The road is well maintained and easy to walk with jeans and sneakers. The course is relatively flat and there are handrails on the slopes along the way.
- Location : Gansen-ji Temple