The taste of the wasanbon, a fine-grained special Japanese sugar which is made in the shape of 500 arhats, will bring back the tranquility of the world. Many monks are said to have practiced Buddhism here throughout its long history. It is a well-known Zen temple that attracts many visitors throughout the four seasons. This spring, a series of souvenirs featuring the Five Hundred Arhats will be available as a reminder of your visit to this ancient temple.

We hope that visitors to the temple will enjoy them as a memento of their trip.

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The dried sweets are sculpted by Kosuke Ikejima, a sculptor born and living in Hamamatsu. In addition to his contemporary wood carvings, he also works on local festival stalls, and on palace carvings such as the dragon with cubs at the Shorinji Temple on Mount Hanagisan in Hamamatsu City. In making the molds for the dried confections, he visited Houkouji Temple many times to talk with the arhats. Please take a moment to appreciate their appearance and expressions before you put them in your mouth.