When things stabilized the relatives of the dead visited the area and left Buddha statues and grave markers to remember their loved ones. In 1903, a temple on the hills collected the scattered statues and arranged them in a circular ring around the temple's sacred statues.
The temple has since become known as Nenbutsu-ji — the temple is dedicated to remembrance of those who have no grave marker. Once a year, a candle is lit atop each of the temples 8000 statues in a famous ceremony (sento kuyo) dedicated to the souls of the dead.
The Buddhas of Adashino Nenbutsu-ji are ancient and worn. Many are over 1000 years old. Originally, they might have looked more like the 1200 Buddhas of nearby Otagi Nenbutsu-ji.
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