Bodhisattva Temple — Abandoned Temple in Hokkaido

Here is an exploration that wasn’t on our itinerary—a true surprise, and not just any surprise, but an abandoned temple. Marie and I were exploring the exterior of a derelict hotel when we noticed a gigantic golden statue in the distance that immediately caught our attention. We walked toward this oversized deity to get a closer look. Once there, we noticed the statue was located on an abandoned estate, overlooking a grand, ruined staircase partially covered in weeds. A curious place, indeed. Walking down the steps, we spotted a Kinkaku-ji-style temple hidden behind the trees, completely isolated and, by all appearances, abandoned.

Discreetly, we headed toward it, only to find that all the ground-floor entrances were boarded up. Frustration. Our stubborn curiosity pushed us to circle the temple several times in the hope of finding a discreet way in. Nothing. Just as I was about to give up and leave, I glanced up at the first floor and noticed an access point wide open. I climbed a tree and grabbed onto a wooden railing, keeping a sharp eye out to ensure no one saw me. I completely ignored the sacred nature of the place—for all I knew, I was committing the ultimate sacrilege, like spitting in a holy water font. My lack of religious and spiritual sensitivity urged me to keep climbing. Quite pleased with my climbing skills, I found myself face-to-face with an impressive statue in a room meant for quiet contemplation—or so I imagined, given the flowers and other small objects left in front of it like offerings. The place is well-preserved, with only a few pieces of the decor crumbling to the floor, victims of the passage of time. A staircase led me down to the ground floor, which was plunged into total darkness. Armed with my flashlight, I discovered another statue, nearly identical to the one on the first floor. Unfortunately, with zero light, I couldn’t properly capture this section on camera. Isolated in the dark within a place so heavily charged with history and meaning, I quickly felt uneasy and went back upstairs to exit the temple.

According to my research, the temple was abandoned at the same time as the hotel, back in 1997, following a fatal drop in tourism. As for that magnificent, 30-meter-tall golden statue, it depicts a Bodhisattva. An unforgettable and beautiful surprise.