Nov 6, 2014 - 1 min read

Toukoji Temple, Shizuoka

Find all the cute statues at this peaceful temple

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

I have no idea what this is

One of the more traditional Buddhist statues

This little lad is lurking in the foliage

Some of the statues do their best to stay hidden

That's a crane and a couple of frogs hanging out at the lantern

I'm not 100% sure what's going on here either

This guy is standing like a sentry at the entrance

And this feller is happy on his rock

Some of them are just plain cute

Not entirely of the Buddhist tradition, but fun nonetheless

Don't mistake me for a mushroom!

If you're walking to the Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art from the nearby station, it's worth taking a slight detour to stop off at Toukoji temple on the way. This small, peaceful temple is fun to visit and poke around because of the dozens of statues dotted around the compact grounds; there are traditional Buddhist figures and also a whole menagerie of animals, from cute bunnies and frogs in the grass to koalas in the trees and many more besides.

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Peter Sidell

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

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Dillon Hinchliffe

Dillon Hinchliffe 10 years ago

I love the statues! This place is added to my list. I will have to find out the meaning behind some of them before I get there...

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Olga

Olga 11 years ago

The statues look very nice and cute!

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Peter Sidell

Peter Sidell Photographer 11 years ago

They are! And there are plenty more at the temple too.

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