One of the most visually striking tourist attractions on the Windward side of Oahu, is the Byodo-in Temple. While it looks like it has been peacefully sitting there for a thousand years, the temple is actually just fifty years old. Built in 1968, it was commissioned and designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Japanese residents to Hawai’i.
Part of the reason the temple looks 1000 years old is that it is a half-scale replica of one of Japan’s most famous temples, the 900 year old Uji Temple in Kyoto Prefecture. So, your eyes and sense of time are not deceiving you. The temple is a non-denominational Buddhist temple and houses a golden Buddha nearly twenty feet tall.
At the entrance of the temple is a large brass bell (fun fact #1 , I close all of my Vagobond podcasts with a gong sound that is actually this bell ringing). Ringing the bell is a way to clear bad karma and quell negative energies. The beautiful manicured grounds, tranquil koi ponds, and the staggering beauty of the inner wall of the ancient Ko’olau volcano in the background all come together with the 11,000 square foot temple to create a powerful monument.
Byodo-in is not a working monastery (though it often plays one on television). It is a non-denominational Buddhist temple. The entrance fee has risen over the years but is still a very reasonable $5 per adult as of 2019.
Fun fact #2: Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos was entombed at Byodo-in until 2016 when his body was moved back to the Philippines where it is currently buried (and strangely to my mind) refrigerated.
