Hodaiji Temple in Shizuoka

Close to the 109 Building near Shizuoka station, Hodaiji is an utterly charming temple, with a peaceful atmosphere and lots of interesting features for both casual visitors and temple-spotters like me. There are some unusual flying elephants under the eaves of the main hall, a lawn dotted with lots of little statues, a raked gravel zen garden, a carp pond where you can watch the fish swimming slowly around, and plenty more. It's a great place to take a break from the bustle of this lively city and relax your heart and mind.