Shakuzoji Temple (Kuginuki Jizo)

Shakuzoji Temple in Kyoto is covered in boards mounted with pliers and long nails, earning its popular name: Kuginuki, or nail puller. The objects trace back to a 16th-century legend in which the bodhisattva Jizo appeared to a merchant in pain and revealed that the suffering came from a past life act. After the merchant donated his tools in atonement, the pain disappeared. Since then, visitors have come seeking relief from physical and emotional pain. The ritual involves circumambulating the main hall while holding a number of wooden sticks equal to your age in the traditional East Asian counting system.