Located in Honyabakei, Nakatsu City, Rakanji Temple is a Sōtō Zen temple renowned for its thousands of stone Buddhas housed in caves on its grounds. Highlights include Japan’s oldest stone Five Hundred Arhat statues and the Sentai Jizō (a thousand Jizō statues) in the Fusaidō Hall, situated within the Murokutsu Cave.
Several founding legends are associated with Rakanji, reflecting its long history as a site for mountain ascetic training. Established in 1338 (Muromachi era) by the Zen Mon Engan Shōgaku, the temple was designed as a representation of the afterlife, contrasting with the world at the foot of the mountain.
By following the old stone-paved approach and steps, visitors encounter countless stone Buddhas, natural stone bridges, and rock caves, experiencing the teachings of Buddhism along the way.