Walking from Awaji Yumebutai to Honpukuji Mizumido
About 40 minutes on foot from Awaji Yumebutai, lol
The main reason I came to Awaji Island was actually Honpukuji Mizumido, which could be called one of ANDO architecture’s signature works.
The only public transportation is the bus, and there aren’t many of them, so I figured, why not just walk from Awaji Yumebutai? So I did.
I strolled over in about 40 minutes. To be honest, I regretted it a little, lol.
What I found there was a temple unlike any I’d ever seen
After climbing one last steep hill, I finally arrived at Honpukuji. The whole temple grounds were beautifully kept.
Mizumido, the place I came to see, lies farther back, so I kept going.
Then this bare concrete wall came into view. The moment I saw it, I knew: this is ANDO architecture.
It felt like a wall separating that world from this one. Something similar came to mind at the Hill of the Buddha, where the water garden also served as a kind of boundary.
And once I passed through the wall, there it was: an oval pond with a staircase descending from its center…
Unfortunately, it was the wrong season, so there were no water lilies at all. I’d love to experience walking down into the pond when the lilies are in bloom.
At the bottom of the stairs is the hall. (From there on, admission is required.)
Photography isn’t allowed inside, so please take a look at this poster instead. The beauty of the main hall glowing deep red in the western sunlight was incredible.
It was a wonderful piece of architecture that let me experience exactly what makes ANDO architecture so special: it looks small from the outside, but once you enter, it feels surprisingly vast. I’m so glad I came all this way.
This is what it looks like from the back on the outside. Seen from below, the pond section looks almost like a dish.
By the way, Mizumido has restrooms on site, so you can visit as a tourist without worrying!!
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