Find your inner peace high above Yamanashi at this 750-year-old Buddhist temple on top of Mt. Minobu.
The majestic Minobusan Kuonji Temple on Mt. Minobu is the head temple of the Nichiren school of Buddhism, and as such has a history of 750 years. To reach the temple, visitors must first climb a massive stone staircase. Conquering the 287 mossy steps is thought to be part of one’s Buddhist training, a small ordeal to surmount on the path to enlightenment. After arriving at the top, visitors are welcomed by the sight of a 39-meter-tall red pagoda, the fourth tallest in Japan. After catching your breath, step inside the main hall of Kuonji Temple to admire the ceiling, where a dragon painted in black ink on gold leaf gazes down imperiously.
