Kyoto Tea Country

Tono Village (Hiking to the Stone Buddha)

January-December

Hiking in Tono, the village of stone Buddha stagues at Kizugawa City in Kyoto Prefecture.
This area adjacent to Nara is where monks lived quietly after leaving their homes practicing the religion during the Nara period (710-794).
Enjoy the natural beauty the gardens and the beauty of Buddha statues of the national treasure status at the two temples and walk along the same paths priests actually walked contemplating the Buddhist theachings.
Different Buddha statues including the serene Buddha statue with a gentle smile welcomes you here along the way as they have done for many centuries.

The walking path from Gansen-ji temple to Joruri-ji temple is about 2km.
Buddha statues carved out of stone by the people who lived in this area are still found along thie path. Especially popular is the statue known as the ""smiling Buddha"" with its gentle smile keeps mesmerizing even today's hikers. Lets walk among nature imagining devotees of those times, their beliefs and lifestyles listening to the birds and refreshing in the always present gentle breeze. Along the path are the Buddha statues carved out of stone by people who lived in the area during those times. Hiking takes about an hour. The road is well maintained and easy to walk with jeans and sneakers. The course is relatively flat and there are handrails on the slopes along the way.

  • Location : Gansen-ji Temple

Details

Location
Gansen-ji Temple
Address
43 Kaminomon, Iwafune, Kamo-cho, Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture
Access
From Kamo Station on the the JR Yamatoji Line, take the Kizugawa Community Bus towards Kamoyamano-ie for approximately 16 minutes, and get off at "Gansenji" bus stop.
Foreign Language Support
A guide with basic English conversation could be arranged. (Limited History explanations)

Additional Notes

*The stone Buddha tour hiking course is about 2km, and middle age and senior citizens can also participate. You are requested to wear clothes that are easy to move and may get dirty, and shoes that are suitable for walking. (Leather shoes are not allowed)
*There is no toilet along the hiking course. (Available at both temples)