Buddhism in Japan

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

A remarkable lava formation encloses a line of Buddhist statues that can't be accurately counted, according to local mythology.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

When this massive wooden temple ran out of rope, they made one out of devotees' hair.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

This sawtooth mountain range still bears the strangely lovely marks of its history as a medieval quarry.

Founded over a thousand years ago, this shrine is said to be built on the site of a warlord's harem prison.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.