Womb Tour, Kiyomizu Temple

World heritage site and popular tourist spot, Kiyomizu Temple is known for its main building, featuring a stage built on stilts over a cliff. Most tourists walk right past the lesser-known Zuigudo building, which enshrines Mahapratisara, a deity that grant wishes. You can’t visit the deity’s statue, but you can go under it. Entering a long corridor in the basement, you’ll walk through the pitch black, using large wood beads attached to the wall as your guide. Midway through the walk, there’s a stone carved with Sanskrit characters symbolizing Mahapratisara. When you finally see some light, you’ll be directly under the Mahapratisara statue. Walking in the dark is a spiritual experience, giving you feel the impression that you’re somewhere between death and pre-birth. Coming into the light after spending time in darkness, you’ll feel like you were reborn.

April 30, 2016