Suzumushidera

Kegonji Temple, better known as Suzumushidera, keeps thousands of bell crickets chirping year-round in specially maintained enclosures inside the temple halls, something you hear before you see. Visits begin with a lively Buddhist sermon in a large tatami room, delivered by a resident monk with a sense of humor that makes it genuinely engaging even without Japanese. The temple's Jizo statue is said to be the only one in Japan that grants one wish to each visitor, a belief that draws a steady stream of petitioners. Set in the quiet western hills near Arashiyama, the walk up through a residential neighborhood feels appropriately low-key for such an unusual place.