Kobe Herb Gardens

This sacred site was founded approximately 1,200 years ago during the Tenpyō era as Yakushi-ji Temple on Mount Yaku by the monk Gyōki. It is a historic temple with ties to Kōbō Daishi, who is said to have visited here. Rebuilt in 1543 (Tennō 11) after being destroyed by natural disaster, it was renamed Chōraku-ji Temple on Mount Kawaikai. Centuries later, in April 1994 (Heisei 6), the consecration ceremony was held for the world's largest wooden Buddha statue. Supported by a stage of 115 pillars (each 1.2 meters in diameter), Chōraku-ji stands majestically atop Mount Kawaikai. Surrounded by beautiful mountains on all sides, it is a grand temple blessed with magnificent natural views overlooking the Yada River below. ● The central hall enshrines a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, with a statue of Amida Buddha to the left and a statue of Yakushi Buddha holding a medicine jar to the right. ● Over 20,000 Chinese Buddhist sculptors worked for three years to create these statues, which were then shipped across the sea and assembled in the Great Buddha Hall. ● Constructed from camphor wood using the yosegi-zukuri technique, it is covered with 1.32 million sheets of gold leaf (21.8kg), radiating a golden brilliance. ● The central Shaka Nyorai statue stands 15.8m tall, reaching a total height of 25.3m including its halo, Sumeru pedestal, and lotus base. ● The expressions of the Three Great Buddhas, each conveying their own distinct character, sit before the people with dignified, serene gazes full of benevolence. ● The 70-meter-tall five-story pagoda is the second tallest in Japan. Within its inner sanctuary, each level houses 51 marble and gold-leaf Buddha statues.