Frog statues, wind-bells welcome worshipers at centuries-old temple in southwestern Japan

August 30, 2015

Frog statues, wind-bells welcome worshipers at centuries-old temple in southwestern Japan

The Buddhist temple is dedicated to the "Kannon" goddess of mercy, but it is widely known as Frog Temple. The temple premises are packed with about 3,000 cute frog statues. Also on hand to greet visitors are hundreds of “furin” glass wind-bells hung with colorful strips of paper on which various wishes are written by worshipers.
Visitors find themselves heartened and encouraged while looking at faces of frog statues and reading messages written on plates held by them or placed beside them.
The temple, located in the countryside in Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, dates back to the eighth century. Its principal object of worship is a rare standing figure of Kannon, a prefecture-designated cultural asset. Other Buddhist statues also stand here and there on the premises, among them a "jizo" figure with a gentle face,

Nyoirinji Temple, formally called so, is unlike other old Buddhist temples, which greet visitors for worship with a solemn atmosphere. Nyoirinji features a relaxing atmosphere for visitors, sheering them up when they feel down.

Why are visitors so attracted by the flog statues at Nyoirinji? The Japanese term for the flog is pronounced “kah-eh-roo” and this pronunciation also goes to a word which means “return”or “change.” The messages shown to visitors read, on a play on words, for example, “Happiness will return” and "Youth will be regained.” The message “Change yourself” can be found on an allay.
One flog statue has a hole in the mouth. It is said that if the one successfully gets through the hole, he will regain youth.
The flog statues have been collected by the current chief priest over years. A room next to the main hall of the temple is filled with hundreds of ornaments and toys made in the shape of flogs. Visitors can enter the room and enjoy their time there.
Worshipers donate 500 yen for a furin glass wind-bell. After writing their wishes on strips of paper tied to the bells, they hang them from shelves or place them on fences in the precincts.
"You can write any wish in your mind” on furin bells, an old sexton said. “Furin bells are on display on the premises through the end of September,” he said.

The practice started a few years ago to enable visitors to heal themselves in summer while feeling a refreshing breeze with the sound of furin bells.
Nyorinji was once about to be abolised during the warring period around the 16th century. But this was averted as believers got together to request for its preservation.
Because Japanese feel various kinds of stress in their hard daily life, they seek something which can bring them to a stress-free atmosphere.

The relaxing time at the time-honored temple is expected to keep cheering up many people and give them power for living
.