A visit to Byodo-In Temple is a true feast for the eyes. Not only is the ornate temple a marvel, but the setting with the pine trees and Koolau Mountains make for a strikingly beautiful scene.
The Byodo-In Temple was completed in 1968 to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants arrival to Hawaii. It is an exact scaled replica of the 950-year-old Fuji Temple in Japan.
One of the most amazing things about the Byodo-In Temple is that it was built without the use of any nails. I still shake my head in disbelief when I see it.
Byodo-In has been used in several movies and television shows. If you’ve watched LOST, Hawaii 5-0 or Magnum PI, you may have seen it.
Though Byodo-In is a bit off the beaten path, we do include a visit to it in our Oahu vacation planner. Here are the what to know when you go:
- Byodo-In Temple is located off Highway 83 (Kahekili) at the Valley of the Temples, in the Kaneohe area of Oahu. Their address is 47-200 Kahekili Highway,
Kaneohe, HI. Use this Google map for getting directions. - At the entrance to the Valley of the Temples, stop at the gate to tell them you are there to visit the temple and ask for directions.
- Byodo-In is a non-practicing Buddhist Temple. People of all faiths are invited to visit the grounds.
- The Valley of the Temples is actually a memorial (cemetery) park, so please do be sensitive to those who are visiting the area.
- There is a small admission fee to walk around the grounds. See their website for the current rates.
- Allow approximately 20 minutes for your visit or longer if you like to linger.
For more photos from our visits to Byodo-In, see this link.
Have you been to Byodo-In? What did you think of it?
Sheila Beal
3 comments
The Temple is worth the visit. Some might have seen posts about being hard to find, most don’t tell you it is in a cemetery. The cemetery alone is interesting. We visited on a day of VOG so the mountains were hard to see but that added to the setting. We may go agin on another visit. It is a beautiful setting and very peaceful. Well worth the trip.
@Annette – yeah, it’s certainly tucked back in there. Sheila included directions and map so others don’t get lost. 😉
I agree, it’s definitely worth the trip and will probably always stay on GVH’s top things to see on Oahu.
That does look pretty surreal, and certainly not something most people think of when visiting Hawaii. It looks like a welcome getaway from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki, and whenever we make it back to the other islands, we’ll be sure to add this and some of your other Oahu suggestions to this list of things we didn’t see on our honeymoon.