Oct 25, 2013 - 1 min read

Zenringai

Shrines and temples packed on two streets in Hirosaki

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

A jolly, chubby statue

The graveyards are home to a wide, wide variety of statues

The straight and narrow

One of many Buddhist statues

There's a large, tranquil forest graveyard

A painting in the ceiling of one of the entrance gates

There are often rows of statues lining the paths

Sometimes the graves are spread out, sometimes packed tightly together

A number of the temples and shrines have elegant pagodas

There are a range of different styles and layouts

Lions guard some of the entrances

Demons stand guard at the entrance to this one

Not all the statues are serene

Right at the end of the street you'll find this

The gate to the temple at the end of the street

Not far south of Hirosaki Park is Zenringai, a district with two streets packed with 33 temples and shrines, many of them relocated here from their original locations. With there being so many I didn't even try to tell them apart, but just treated them all as one unified experience, soaking up the atmosphere as I strolled around their various grounds. There's an interesting diversity of architectural styles on display, and a large, atmospheric forest graveyard.

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Peter Sidell

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

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