Hanibe Caves ハ ニ ベ 岩 窟 (Hanibe gankutsu), in Komatsu city (Ishikawa prefecture) … home to a strange collection of statues of Buddhas and other deities. A crazy conga that swings between peaceful Buddhas and images of the torments of hell.
This place used to be a stone quarry. To find better quality rocks, miners dug down and created a number of cavities.
The quarry was long abandoned before being rediscovered by sculptor Yuma Tsugata. The story goes that he was drunk when he stumbled across the site.
Tsugata opened a temple there in 1951 and his creativity flowed through the hundred sculptures that populate the 150 metres of tunnels.
From the car park, visitors are greeted by a huge Buddha head, 15 metres high. The catchphrase written at the entrance sets the scene right away: “The village of Buddha, where demons also play” 鬼 も 遊 ぶ 仏 陀 の 里.
The name Hanibe comes from the word haniwa, which means clay figurine.
In the first section of the caves, statues of Indian deities (Daikoku and Shakyamuni) are on display. Then come representations from the Kama Sutra. The further you venture into the depths, the more terrifying the symbols become.
The second part of the caves is devoted to Buddhist punishments and other tortures of hell:
- Someone crushed by a car, cut in half or covered in blood.
- Demons who drink human blood and skewer human flesh.
- Erotic statues of all kinds (such as an oversized flaccid penis).
Hard to believe you’re still in a Buddhist temple.
The sculptor has carved nearly a hundred statues and made it a point of honour that they should all be unique. Every face and every expression has been carefully considered.
Once out of the hell caves, climb the path to the hilltop where a reclining Buddha will bring you some inner peace.
