Kyoto

Aug 10, 2014 - 1 min read

Bentendo and Tenmangu at Manshu-in

Buddhism and Shinto side by side on an island in a pond

By Cathy Cawood

Community writer

Bentendo nestled among the lush greenery of early summer

Tenmangu Shrine

A stone lantern beside the pond

Turtles swim in the pond

The bridge stands on solid looking pillars

Many maples around the pond must create a glorious blaze of color in autumn

Picturesque stone lantern with Bentendo in the background

There are many stone lanterns

Looking back across the bridge to the stone torii

Visitors have placed small rocks on the horizontal posts of the torii

Bentendo framed by the stone torii

Manshuin in Kyoto is a temple complex with a number of beautiful and interesting buildings, but on a semi-island in the middle of a pond stands a small temple named Bentendo. Dedicated to Benten, the goddess of wealth, happiness, wisdom and music, the temple stands next to a very old red shrine named Tenmangu. Surprisingly, it is not unusual to see Buddhism and Shinto side by side in Japan. The buildings are accessed by passing under a stone torii, and over a pretty arched stone bridge.

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Cathy Cawood

By Cathy Cawood

Community writer

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