Hawaii has a long and proud Japanese tradition started when the first Japanese workers were imported to work in the sugarcane and pineapple fields of Hawaii.  The descendants of these immigrant workers have kept their Japanese culture alive on Oahu and no where else is this more evident then at Byodo-in Temple located on the island’s east side:

The temple is a replica of the original 900 year old temple located in the Kyoto prefecture of Japan.  The temple is located near a Japanese cemetery and thus the reason why the decision was made to construct the temple at this location:

The temple provided a place for people of Japanese heritage to pray for their ancestors as well also being a location to honor the Japanese-Americans who immigrated to Hawaii.  The temple was constructed in 1968 without any nails being used and was funded entirely by donations.

The first thing most visitors see when visiting the temple is this large bronze bell:

This bell is five feet high and weighs three tons.  Ringing the bell is supposed to bring you good luck before entering the temple.  I don’t know about that, but it serve as a good prop for eager tourists looking to take picture of themselves ringing the bell.  I admit it, I got a picture of myself ringing the bell too.

As I walked around the grounds of the temple I couldn’t help, but be impressed by the highly manicured gardens that surround this temple, which really gives it a relaxing feeling:

Even the acoustics of the place is relaxing with the trickling waterfalls and ocean breeze.  It was obvious that much love and care is put into keeping this temple as beautiful  and peaceful as it is.

After checking out the bell and the gardens I then walked towards the rear of the building to look at the many fish swimming in the temple’s ponds:

These ponds are filled with some of the largest koi fish I have ever seen:

These things were monsterous, but it was easy to see how they got so big considering all the fish pellets that was being sold to the tourists at the temple to feed the fish with.  Incredibly, koi fish have been known to live for 226 years and the way these guys eat at Byodo-in they seem well on there way to living a long life.

After finishing watching the fish devour everyone’s fish pellets, I then walked inside to take a look at the Buddhist alter that sits in the middle of the temple:

This is supposedly the largest wooden Buddha carved in over 900 years.  If you look closely on the Buddha’s forehead you can see the small dot that is supposed to represent the “third eye”.  This dot is supposed to give the Buddha insight into the spiritual world.

From the alter I walked back outside and viewed this impressive Japanese rock garden:

In the background of the above picture it is possible to see the bridge I crossed to enter the temple’s grounds.

The back drop for this temple is really incredible with the high peaks of the Koolau Ridge rising up behind the temple:

For fans of the TV series LOST, Byodo-in Temple actually appears in the series as the family home of Yun-jin Kim’s character Sun:

The temple has also appeared in the series Magnum PI and Hawaii Five-O:

If visiting Hawaii I definitely recommend checking out this temple because it is really quite scenic and fairly easy to find.  It is approximately thirteen miles from the airport on the east side of the island.

To get there from Honolulu take the H1 Honolulu East. Once on the freeway, get into the far left lane.  Follow the sign that says (63) North, Exit 20A Likelike Highway (pronounced leekay leekay, not like like). This exit appears on the right. Stay on this highway. You will pass through the Wilson Tunnel. Once out of the tunnel, there is an astonishing view of the windward side. Take the Kahekili exit (83) on the right. Get into the left lane . You will pass through five stop lights. The temple is on the left side. The Valley of the Temple’s Cemetery is what appears on your left.

The temple is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and charges an admission fee of only $2.  Definitely worth checking out as part of an itinerary to explore Oahu’s windward coast.