Japan’s Unique Temple Houses Tens of Thousands of Women’s Breasts – Cizunin Prays for Women’s Health

▲Cizunin Temple in Wakayama (Photo /Cizunin Temple Official Website)

By Rita

When visiting Japan, one of the key activities is exploring local temples. The Buddhist architecture in Kokubunji, Wakayama Prefecture, is a classic example. However, one temple stands out from the rest — it is adorned with decorations of tens of thousands of women’s breasts.

▲Cizunin Temple in Wakayama prays for breast cancer awareness (Photo / Cizunin Temple Official Website)

According to CNN, this temple, called Cizunin, is one of the World Heritage sites and was established as an administrative office when Kukai (Kobo Daishi) founded Mount Koya. At that time, women were not allowed on Mount Koya, so this place was affectionately known as “Women’s Koya.”

The various breast-shaped decorations in the temple, according to current monk An’n, originated a few years ago when a doctor from the Wakayama area visited the temple to pray for his breast cancer patients. The doctor asked the temple for an object to serve as a symbol of prayer, and soon the practice spread. Cizunin became a temple dedicated to praying for women’s health.

In fact, this temple has long been associated with motherhood, possibly dating back over 1,000 years. Currently, it is also the only temple in Japan that prays for women’s diseases.

Address:
0648-0151 Wakayama, Itō District, Kokubunji Town, Cizunin 832