A must see "Kosanji" : Buddhist temple

Aug 07 2020

Industrialist Koso Kosanji founded Kosanji temple in 1936 in honor of his mother after her death. Koso Kosanji converted to Buddhism after the end of his mother, and he built the temple to ensure his mother's way to the Buddhist heaven.
It took more than 30 years to build the 50,000-square meter temple. Various constructions in the temple represent different Japanese eras of construction style from the Asuka period to the Edo era.

Kosanji Temple is a symbol of filial piety

Kosanji Temple

Photograph provided by Courtesy of Hiroshima Prefecture

According to a quote by Koso Kosanji, “the parents raised the kids out of deep love and cattiness rather than by obligation. By just thinking of parents’ unconditional love to us, the least we can do and pay back to them is filial piety.” This is a Buddhist way of thinking that we do not own our life. We come to this life to be grateful for our parents who gave us our life. In Buddhism, a human being is not a good person if one is not nice to their parents or elders in general. Koso Kasanji is a perfect example of showing our gratitude to parents. In other words, Kosanji temple is the symbol of filial piety. In Buddhism, a human being is not a right person if one is not nice to their parents or elders in general.

Traditional constructions monuments in Kosanji Temple

Kosanji Temple

Photograph provided by Courtesy of Hiroshima Prefecture

The entrance fee is JPY1400. It is open from 9 am and closes at 5 pm. There are the Kosanji museum and many transitional arts and sculptures in the temple. It is worthwhile to pay a visit to see the historical temple, and feel the religious and artful atmosphere here.

All these elements religion, art and historical stories in Kosanji Temple

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The temple is built to honor the mother of Koso Kosanji. There is not only religious factors but also many art sculptures in the temple. Regarding to access to Kosanji Temple, it is highly recommend to do cycling around ikujijima island in Hiroshima. You can actually visit the temple by cycling. The Kosanji temple is one of the recommend stop in the Shimanami kaido cycling course from Onomichi.

Collecting the stamps in the 50,000 square meters in the temple

The temple is located within 50,000 square meters. It is great to spend time walking around the temple. There are hills of hope, Kosanji museum, and shrines in the temple. You can visit all the places and collect all stamps in the temple. Regarding access to Kosanji Temple, it is highly recommended to do cycling around ikujijima island in Hiroshima. You can visit the temple by bicycle. The Kosanji temple is one of the recommended stops in the Shimanami kaido cycling course from Onomichi.

Mirainoshin no Oka(hills of hope) won the first prize of Marble Architectural Awards in 2005

Mirainoshin no Oka

Photograph provided by Courtesy of Hiroshima Prefecture

Behind the Kosanji museum, there is a small hill of 5,000 square meters that is called the Hill of Hope. It was designed and built by a world-renowned sculptor, Kuetani Itou. All the marble you see here was imported from Italy. When you visit the Hill of Hope, it is important to enjoy the atmosphere. The place is composed of white marble, art sculptures, and natural landscape. Instead of looking at one element at a time, it is more important to see everything at once. This was also the wish of Kuetani Itou when he first designed the place. He wanted visitors to feel the sense of life on the Hill of Hope, which won first prize in the Marble Architectural Awards in 2005.

How to visit?

You can go to Kosanji temple in three ways: bus, bicycle, or ferry. By bicycle, you can bike from Onomichi. The distance is about 30 kilometers. You can also take the ferry from Onomichi for about 40 minutes. The walking distance to the temple is about 20 minutes from the port. Lastly, if you decide to go by bus, there is a bus from Onomichi. It takes about one hour to go one way, and there is only one bus every three hours.