The Japanese Peace Pagoda near Unawatuna is a beautiful shrine with amazing views across the ocean. It’s also quite near Jungle Beach.
The Pagoda
The Japanese Peace Pagoda is quite impressive. You can see it from the main Unawatuna beach and, upon climbing the Rumassala hill it fills your vision.
Sri Lanka has four peace pagodas and there are over 80 worldwide. Most are built by the Japanese Nipponzan-Myōhōji order, as was the one here. They are monuments designed to inspire peace among all races and creeds. This example in Unawatuna certainly does feel peaceful.
The View
The view out across the ocean is beautiful. We went on a rainy day but it was still a lovely sight.
You can see open ocean between Galle and Unawatuna and it’s a nice place to catch the sunset.
The People
When we went someone came and asked us to cover our legs (we were wearing shorts), which is fair enough. After that he was quite nice and showed us around the shrine room next door. They seem to do a sort of drum ritual everyday (think there’s one around 5:30 PM) and you can participate if you’re around.
Conclusion
It’s actually a bit of a tuk-tuk ride out from Unawatuna, but worth a visit for the view and to experience what is a truly peaceful pagoda. Jungle Beach is nearby, so it can be a nice morning or sunset trip.
