Ichibata Yakushi revisited

I paid another visit to Ichibata Yakushi, the mountaintop temple to the buddha of healing Yakushi Nyorai, located between Lake Shinji and the Japan Sea up in Izumo.

There are more than 8,000 of these little statues left by pilgrims who come here from all over Japan, mostly to pray for relief from eye problems.

The bronze statues are 24 cms high and depict a Kenzoku, a guardian of Yakushi Nyorai.

Each one costs 30,000 yen ( approx $300). Inside each one is a small piece of paper upon which is written the prayer of the pilgrim.

Myriad Yakushi

Yakushi Nyorai is the Japanese name for the Buddha of Medicine & Healing.

These statues, about 25cms tall, are at the Ichibata Yakushi Temple between lake Shinji and the Japan Sea coast up in Izumo.

Ichibata Yakushi is primarily known as a temple to pray at for eye problems.

Originally of the Tendai sect, it is known as a Rinzai temple, but actually it is the head of its own "religious corporation", with 31 temples nationwide.

Not sure exactly how many little statues there are, but it runs into the many thousands.