Zuiryuji Temple – Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture

Posted on May 13, 2007 by Adam R.

After heading to Takaoka from our place in Tonami City my father in-law Ken, took me to a market and then he said it is time to cross the road. After crossing the road and a walk along a wide loose stone path loomed Zuiryuji Temple’s entrance, so we grabbed two tickets at the booth and headed onwards. The first thing you notice at the entrance is the width of the front wall compared to the gate that looks minuscule in comparison.

The lead up to the gate is a central stone tile path with small stones on either side of the path extending to the boundaries of the property.

Once you enter the gate the path continues straight ahead but there is grass in the inner courtyard in place of the stones in the outer courtyard. The path inside is lined with massive stone lanterns and continues straight ahead to a small double roofed building housing a huge wooden statue with other small ones on the back wall of monks that lived at the temple previously. Visitors can walk between the back of the massive statue and the back wall and it is common practice for Buddhist visitors to place money on the statues and in the offering boxes located around the temple.

The path continues straight ahead again for a short distance out of the small temple building then into the main temple area. The smell of the burning incense is exquisite and is made on site by the monks of the temple, which you can also purchase. Monks provide tours and this offers access to several areas not open to the general public to walk about themselves. Ken and I exited the back of the main temple building and found our selves in a serene garden with a bench seat so we sat down for a few minutes. This place is so peaceful I thought to myself, watching the leaves fall from the trees and get carried away by the wind.

To the left were some “haka”, which are Japanese graves and Ken wanted a look so we started wandering along and ended up lost, having to jump a fence a do a one minute cross country to end up finding a hole in the fence to the outer courtyard. Zuiryuji has two points of sale for souvenir items one being the ticket booth and the other in the main Butsudan “Buddhist Shrine” hall at the back of the complex. A definite place to visit in Takaoka and I made some bargian buys at the market across the road from the Zuiryuji. You can find out more in English on the link below in relation to opening times and admission prices.

Zuiryuji Website