The Valley of the Temples memorial park in Kaneohe, on the windward side of Oahu about 30 minutes from Honolulu, contains a full-scale replica of the Byodo-In temple in Uji, Japan — a Japanese national treasure dating from 1053 AD. The Hawaiian version was built in 1968 to mark the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Hawaii, set against the vertical green cliffs of the Ko'olau Mountains.
The setting is genuinely beautiful — clouds frequently hang around the cliffs at the garden's edge, and the temple's red lacquer reflects in the still water of the pond below. Black swans and koi fill the pond. The temple's sacred bell, which visitors strike to bring peace and good fortune, echoes across the valley. Entry is modest; it is rarely crowded during the week.