The Byodo-in Temple is located along Kahekili Highway at the windward side of Oahu and within the Valley of the Temples Windward Memorial Park. It is a scale replica of a temple at Uji, Japan that was constructed over 900 years ago. It was built entirely without the use of nails. The temple was planned with the input and assistance of the Hawaiian Buddhist community and its leaders. Its design represents the mythical phoenix, with its wings upheld by pillars of stone.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on January 12, 1966. The temple was completed and dedicated with private Buddhist ceremonies on June 7, 1968, nearly 100 years to the day that the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the Hawaiian Islands.

The major attractions found within the temple are the bell, meditation house, sculpture of the Great Buddha, the tea house, the beautiful gardens, and the carp that live in the temple's reflecting pool. The 5-foot, 3-ton brass bell echoes the original in Uji, Japan. It is revered for its distinctive shape, and the tone of the bell sounds a message of deep calm and peace, cleansing the mind of evil and temptation. Ringing the bell to announce your arrival at the temple is said to bring good fortune. The bell is customarily rung before one enters the temple to spread the eternal blessings of Buddha.

The meditation house is a place of serenity, for private thoughts, and inner peace. With its aura of quiet and rustic beauty, its ultimate appeal is to the spirit while delighting the eye. Japanese sculpture, Masazo Inui, created the 9-foot 2-inch representation of Amida, the Great Buddha of the Western Paradise. It is the largest wooden Buddha carved in 900 years and is covered with gold and lacquer. In the two-acre reflecting pool of the temple are hundreds of carp which is known to the Japanese as 'Koi." The Japanese believe that the carp is the symbol of order and perseverance.

The landscape architects who designed the temple's beautiful gardens have retained the serenity and grace of a Japanese garden and at the same time added a touch of joy and the Hawaiian "spirit of aloha." These gardens are the largest of their kind outside of Japan. Also found within the compound is a tea house which carries a wide variety of gifts, souvenirs, refreshments and photo needs. Visitors find the tea house to be a place for quiet comfort and relaxation. At the rear of the building are restroom facilities.