{"id":16921,"date":"2017-05-10T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T23:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=16921"},"modified":"2020-03-27T10:56:45","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T01:56:45","slug":"utsunomiya-oya-ji-temple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/utsunomiya-oya-ji-temple\/","title":{"rendered":"Utsunomiya’s \u014cya-ji Temple of Stone!"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The very moment I saw a picture of Oya-ji temple<\/strong>\u2019s peculiar surrounding rock formations<\/strong>, I was determined to go. It\u2019s not often you have the opportunity to see a temple situated under a sheer rock face<\/strong>, and i\u2019m pretty sure there are some fairly obvious reasons for that. None-the-less, this temple has remained here since its establishment in 810 by the great Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Not many people think of Utsunomiya<\/strong> as a decent travel destination but if you\u2019re passing through to Nikko<\/strong><\/a>, it is definitely an amazing place to take in some pretty unique and unusual sites. This temple is the only temple I have ever seen that has integrated itself among the peculiar glooping Oya stone formation. The rock itself holds some amazingly rare textual properties that I have not seen since I left. The sight of these alone are enough to make you gasp without even stepping foot into the temple.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n When entering the main hall, you\u2019re met with an impressive golden statue,<\/strong> accompanied by grand finery, rich reds and silvers. The statue itself mimics the impressions of the 27m tall Oya Kannon<\/strong> just a small walk outside the temple\u2019s grounds, in that it embodies a feeling of stillness, but also power; a characteristic of many of the Buddhist images of the 8th and 9th centuries.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n While the initial golden statue was impressive, it was not unlike those I had seen before in other temples. What really caught my eye was the part of the temple encased in a cave of Oya stone<\/strong>. I had entered a long, grey corridor featuring a wall of Oya stone slanting down like half of a roof containing a wall of Buddhist images<\/strong> that had been carved into it. The main feature of this wall was a 4m goddess of mercy statue, which is said to be the oldest stone cavern Buddha in Japan<\/strong>, and so is named an important cultural asset<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Alongside this impressive Buddha stood a number of other rock carvings, including the typical round bellied Buddha and the 3 Buddhas, collectively named Amida Sanzon<\/strong>. Each statue is said to have been carved roughly from the wall\u2019s surface, before being smoothed and finished with clay and colouring. However, due to fir damage in the Edo<\/strong> era, some clay melted off, leaving some states somewhat featureless and most, if not all, colourless. None-the-less, I feel that statues of this kind are a rarity in Japan, particularly considering the holy, spongy texture the Oya stone brings to the carvings. In a way, it creates a kind of creepy, spiritual atmosphere in amongst the peace of the Buddhas.<\/p>\n\u014cya-ji Temple, Built Into the Surrounding Tuff Rock<\/b><\/h2>\n