Morioka, the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, has a whole street of temples that were built as part of a defense strategy. Hoonji Temple, known as The Temple Of 500 Disciples, stands out because of the interesting tales about its occupants. The 500 disciples are a collection of wooden statues, arranged in various poses and grimaces, that line the walls of the temple, but if you were to count them you would discover only 499. Where the last one went no one knows.
