Eikan-dō Temple

Eikan-do Temple sits against the hillside, marked by a pagoda that emerges from a dense canopy of maple trees. It began in the ninth century as a private villa before a monk named Eikan transformed it into a sanctuary for the poor and sick. The temple houses a rare statue of the Buddha looking back over his shoulder. Legend says Eikan was chanting during a procession when the figure turned its head, stepped off its pedestal, and waited for him to catch up.