Mitaki-dera: The Three Waterfalls Temple

The first time I visited Mitaki-dera was many years ago, when I accompanied a friend to the temple in the west of Hiroshima city. As we got off the train at Mitaki Station and walked up the mountain past the cemeteries and tea houses, I had no idea what awaited me. I thought this was just another trip to just another local temple.

I was soon proven wrong. Mitaki is hardly an average temple. My first sight of the four bronze monk statues standing just behind the small pond stunned me, while the numerous jizos lining the paths charmed me. We continued hiking all the way up through the temple paths and up the mountain through the bamboo forests and to the top of Soko-yama. I thought it was one of the most beautiful and spiritual places I had ever been. As the years have passed, these sentiments have only grown deeper.

A refreshing refuge from the hectic city below any time of year, Mitaki becomes a breathtaking paradise in autumn.The paths wind under a glowing canopy of red and yellow. The crisp autumn sunlight shines through, illuminating the autumn hues and beautifully accenting the many statues. The collection of jizo, kannon, and other butsuzou statues in Mitaki are a visual treasure. Each one unique and in constant transition as people place their gifts at the base and replace their hats and clothing over the months and years. After years of frequent visits, I am still discovering new statues and never tire of seeing the same ones as their expressions change with the light and seasons. It is, however, in Autumn when they all seem to truly come alive.

Mitaki is unique in other ways. Many of the statues and artifacts have been brought in from other places around Japan as well as South East Asia.
The famous pagoda was a gift from Wakayama after the war to solace the lost souls of Hiroshima. You won't find too many Ganesh statues in Japanese temples, but there is a small one here, at the base of the third waterfall as it flows from under the main temple. There are other South East Asian statues and artifacts at the top of the stairs, but even more unusual, is the stone Christian Cross on the upper path linking the pond to the bell. And just past the bell, one will find a memorial to all those who lost their lives not just during the atomic bomb blast, but also at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland during World War II. Close to there, there is a stone with a song about Mitaki engraved in it.

Wandering up the path under the canopy of momiji, you might be tempted to just look up. However, there is a lot below to entice you as well. On the right side of the path, you値l find the juroku rakan or "16 statues of high ranking monks" hanging out on the side of the hill. Each one, posing a different position and expression, is certainly worth pausing to admire. As you wander up the pathway, you'll find the tea house and garden where the second fall flows down from the mountain. Only open a few times a year for tea ceremony, November is one of those times when you might get to go in if you time it right. Finally at the top of the hill is the main temple, a treasure all in itself. Surrounded by jizo and numerous older images of Buddah, butsuzou statues. The third waterfall is up the stairs behind the temple, just where you can partake of the fresh mountain stream water.

Finally, don't forget to get a peek of the great city viewscape of Hiroshima just a few minutes up the stairs before the main temple. Don稚 be surprised to find people picnicking up there. Many more visual treasures await your discovery as you wander the pathways of Mitaki-dera and the mountain behind. Wake up and get there early for the best light and you could very well find yourself there for the day.

The following are a few of my own "visual treasures" I have had great joy in discovering through my many journeys up and around Mitaki.

Access:Mitaki-dera temple is a short walk from Mitaki JR Station on the JR Kabe Line.

• Mitaki-dera on Flickr
• Hike Mitaki