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I came across this scene not far from a temple in Kyoto. The hundreds of stones had been there a long time, by looking at the moss and lichen that had accumulated. This display is known as the 1200 buddhas. The statues are called "rakan." There are 500 different rakan in Japan, each represents one of the legendary 500 disciples of Buddha. The official name of this place is Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

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Little Buddhas, or Rakan

I came across this scene not far from a temple in Kyoto. The hundreds of stones had been there a long time, by looking at the moss and lichen that had accumulated. This display is known as the 1200 buddhas. The statues are called "rakan." There are 500 different rakan in Japan, each represents one of the legendary 500 disciples of Buddha. The official name of this place is Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple in Arashiyama, Kyoto.