Hasedera

One of the grandest buddhist temples in Eastern Japan, Hasedera has vital links to Japan’s ancient history. Its main building houses an awesome wooden statue, almost ten metres tall, of Kannon, the eleven-headed goddess of mercy. More than just a temple, this collection of buildings covers quite a bit of ground and encourages peaceful wandering of its gardens, ponds, and bridges. It’s like a portal to the buddhist Japan of old.