7 days in Japan- 10/20/2023-10/26/2023

Day 2- A walk around Kawagoe  -10/21/2023

Kitan Temple continuation

On the ground of Kitain Temple there is a special building, which is home to some important national treasures. The Kyaku-den (guest hall) is the only remains of the Edo Castle living quarters. When they were rebuilding Kitain after a fire completely destroyed it, the Shogun Iemitsu ordered the transport of some of the rooms from his Edo Castle. They were transported by boat along the Arakawa and Shingashi Rivers, presumably through Sembagashi. The current building were completed in 1640 and is a Nationally Important Cultural Building.

It is now a museum now and you have to pay to get in.

The Tokugawa Iemitsu Birth Room'' because the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu was born here when this building was part of Edo Castle . A 17-and-a-half tatami room in the center has a Buddhist altar, which is set up so that Buddhist services can be held. 

The bathroom

There shoin (Drawing room) is connected to the guest hall.

The garden with stone features.

The garden was beautifully maintained.

People can sit on the walkway and can admire the beauty of the garden.

The garden is very serene.

Walkway connecting to other part of the historic house.

View of the courtyard in front of the house.

We are now headed to the 500 statues of Rakan

 Rakan, also known as Arhat, were early disciples to Buddha who attained perfect enlightenment, had left the mundane world behind them and lived in a state of nirvana.

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What sets the Kawagoe rakans apart from the ones displayed elsewhere is that the rakans here are not stern-faced spiritualists but timeless folk who clearly express the joys of life.

 Cut in stone between 1782 and 1825, every single one of the rakan here has its very own distinct personality. There are actually 540 of them. The creators must have enjoyed their work so much that they went way beyond the assigned 500.

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 In the middle at the high seat is a large statue of the historical Gautama Buddha, and the statues of arhats, who are the disciples of Buddha and surrounding the Buddha.. Every arhat statue is said to have a different face and a different pose.

Closer look at  the Buddha statue.

On the left you can see an arhat smiling while praying.

Some arhats have a serious look on their faces.

There are sake-drinking arhat, there are reading arhat, there are arhat receiving a massage, arhat talking to each other, hunchback arhat, arhat with animals, etc...

Rows full of arhats.

In the back ground you can see the rooftop of the Tahoto Pagoda.

We are done with our visit and we are now leaving the temple.

We are now going to walk around town

NEXT... A stroll in town, Kawagoe