Fudoin Temple ：Experience Functional Buddhism at its Best

Getting There

The Astram Line monorail ride from Hondori Station to Fudoin-mae Station takes 9 minutes and costs ¥230 one way. From Fudoin-mae Station, it’s a 2-minute walk to the temple.
Buses are available from the Hiroshima Bus Center & Hiroshima Station.
The nearest JR station is Shin-Hakushima. It’s a nice half-hour walk along the Ota riverbank to Fudoin.
There is free car parking inside the temple grounds.

 

 

Features

The entrance gate sets the scene for stature. Some information boards offer the chance to test your image reading translation app or Japanese skills. The notable history is unfortunately not displayed for non-Japanese readers. There are a pair of intimidating guardians on either side of the entrance who look like forces to be reckoned with.

The air of simplicity at the site feels great and the space can be enjoyed for its unassuming qualities. Everything feels in proportion with adequate space to balance the with structures on the site.

To the left, a small pond offers the qualities of a nice Japanese garden without any formality or pretention.

The main temple building is characterised by an austere, imposing dominance. It is a remarkable piece of wooden architecture, with the roof constructed with the skill of miyadaiku (宮大工 – skilled carpenters), whose work is prized by the ingenuity of interlocking joints without the use of nails. Despite its age, the building looks well maintained and impressive.

There are small windows at the entrance of the temple, where it is possible to gleam a peek at Lord Buddha in statue. Sometimes even these windows are drawn, and it is not possible to see inside at all. Inside a statue of a seated Lord Buddha looks well positioned amongst the usual devotional paraphernalia. The building is rarely opened, only for periodic cleaning.

The giant incense burner itself is a good enough reason to burn some incense, which you can purchase at the temple.

For actual praying there is a smaller temple, set back to the right which offers all the usual uses. Access to a visible Buddha, candles, incense, fortune telling and my favorite thing…

 

Moment of Joy

At the rear temple there are some giant wooden dharma beads that you can roll around and clunk to your heart’s content.

Another great feature in the courtyard is a giant Japanese-style stupa, painted with a vibrant red paint. Usually, this type of structure holds some sacred relics, but I’m unsure what this one contains. That doesn’t stop it from looking cool and being fascinating. The ground has a large gravel open space and a small collection of kids’ bikes, which you can use freely. There is enough space for kids to have a ride or run around. The temple grounds are walled and an ideal environment to let your small children have a safe play around.

The backdrop of mountainside nature provides a variety of trees that accentuate the seasonal colors. I visited in late autumn at the end of November and could enjoy the beautiful Momiji, or maple trees. The few trees that are featured near the temple are exquisitely shaped and pruned.

For those visitors who want to hedge their bets with the divine, there is a tiny shinto shrine with a row of colourful torii gates behind the smaller buddhist temple. 

Up the hillside behind the temple is a graveyard including the remains of some of Hiroshima’s most prominent elite.

Story

According to one theory, the Ashikaga shogunate established temples across the country during their reign in the Muromachi period (1338-1573). The main temple building was completed in 1540, with other structures on the sacred site being constructed either side of this date over the period of decades. The numerous cultural properties tell of a long history with Fudoin’s status as a premier temple in Hiroshima, with previous rulers being buried at the site.

After the atomic bomb was dropped, Hiroshima lost many cultural properties in an instant, but fortunately, Fudoin was spared thanks to the geographical conditions. Fudoin is located at the foot of a mountain, 3.9 kilometers from the hypocenter in the city center, so it suffered no major damage and managed to retain its former glory.

After the atomic bomb dropped, survivors left the city center to the suburbs. With a death march heading north, the exhausted survivors tragically became corpses and were buried along the road and riverbank. Fudoin became a shrine for paying respects to all the people who died in the local area.

Fudoin for Who?

Perfect for:
Families with young children who want to let off some steam

Good for:
Actually going to pray
Looking to escape crowds
Enjoying tranquility & introspection

Not good for:
Those In a hurry for highlights
Needing crowds for validation

Summary

Fudoin is a lovely temple if you have the slack to appreciate it. Aesthetically, it ticks a lot of boxes. It could feel tedious if you’ve just been whirlwinding through the best of Kyoto and are “templed out.” It’s a top-class structure from the period and is a prized piece of history for Hiroshima City, which otherwise has a distinct lack of historical buildings in the city center due to the devastation.

While you’re at it, why not take a walk along the Ota riverbank to nearby Ushita? 

The Ushita General Park has a nice rose garden, located directly behind the Big Wave sports center.