A Japanese temple's thrilling secret

S4E6 - A Japanese temple's thrilling secret

Published: July 20, 2026

Duration: 7:15

I arrived at a small temple tucked under an overhanging cliff in Japan, having gone there on the advice of a complete stranger. That advice turned out to be gold, as I came face to face with a statue of the Buddha more than 1,200 years old – the oldest one in Japan. It was a spiritual experience.

If you are asking yourself ‘what to do in Utsunomiya', 'is Oya-ji a very rare temple because it is in a cave' or 'where can you see the oldest statue of the Buddha in Japan', this podcast episode might have some answ...