Mar 17, 2013 - 1 min read

Sugimoto Dera's "Nio" Statues

Enjoy a rare, unobstructed view of fierce temple guards

By Larry Knipfing

Community writer

A truly majestic site

The "Un" guardain has his mouth closed

The pair of "Ah-Un" guardians can be found at most temple in Japan

It is very rare to be able to get so close to these beautiful statues

They are at the main gate, protecting the temple from harm

"Ah" has his mouth open

The approach to the gate

The gate, with the temple protectors

A collection of Buddhist statues, with the temple behind them

The temple's main bell, with bamboo striker

Bamboo has many uses in Japan

The main temple. Notice the thatched roof

I love to visit Kamakura's Sugimoto Dera, mainly for the great unobstructed view at its main gate of the pair of "Nio" guardian statues. Almost any other temple you visit will have these fierce protectors of the temple enclosed in wire (as a protection against pigeons), but here, you can walk right up and enjoy viewing them very, very close. They are scary and beautiful at the same time, as well they should be. You will notice that one has its mouth open, and the other its mouth closed. This is called "Ah-Un" and represents the alpha to omega of our cosmic existence.

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Larry Knipfing

By Larry Knipfing

Community writer

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