The temple which is particularly famous for the splendor of the Japanese garden in a certain number Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine of Kyoto is “Saiho-ji Temple”.
The garden of Saiho-ji Temple is covered with moss and is said to be the another name “Moss temple”.
This garden is appointed in the special scenic spot.
And it is registered with a world heritage as one of “the cultural assets of ancient city Kyoto”!
Steve Jobs who was the founder of Apple Inc. seems to have come several times. (○´艸｀)
Contents:
- About World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’
- About Saiho-ji Temple
- Reservation method
- The copying of “Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra (Hannya Shingyo)”
- Highlights of Saiho-ji Temple
- Goshuin of Saiho-ji Temple
- How to get to Saiho-ji Temple
- Hotel search & reservation around Saiho-ji Temple
1.About World Heritage ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’
17 places of temples and shrines of Kyoto are designated in the ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto’.
↓Details of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto” is here.↓
2.About Saiho-ji Temple
Saihō-ji (西芳寺) is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple located in Matsuo, Nishikyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. The temple, which is famed for its moss garden, is commonly referred to as “Koke-dera” (苔寺), meaning “moss temple”, while the formal name is “Kōinzan Saihō-ji” (洪隠山西芳寺). The temple, primarily constructed to honor Amitabha, was first founded by Gyōki and was later restored by Musō Soseki. In 1994, Saihō-ji was registered as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site, as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto”.
引用(citation):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saih%C5%8D-ji_(Kyoto)
・Origin of Saiho-ji Temple
3.Reservation method
The visit of Saiho-ji Temple needs a prior reservation. The reservation method is “double post card”.
You can desired a reservation day, but cannot desired at detailed time of the day.
Please refer to it because I summarized the procedure of the reservation.
①:You prepare a double postal card and fill in a necessary matter and mail it in the post. (You had better write not only the hope day but also the second hope day.)
②:An identification of worship arrives by mail after 3 ~ 4 days. Let’s bring an identification of this worship on the worship day.
Admission fee is 3, 000 yen (/person).
4.The copying of “Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra (Hannya Shingyo)”
You perform copying and reading of “Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra (Hannya Shingyo)” by all means in Saiho-ji Temple.
(You can’t enter the garden when you don’t copy a sutra.)
Because you write it to the paper which the sutra was printed on, anyone can easily perform it.
The visit of the garden is possible as soon as copying of a sutra is over.
5.Highlights of Saiho-ji Temple
Even if the highlight of Saiho-ji Temple says anything, it is a Japanese garden of the moss.
The main gate of Saiho-ji Temple.
The main hall of Saiho-ji Temple.
The main hall is a comparatively new building rebuilt in 1969.
You perform the copying of a sutra in this main hall.
A road following the garden.
It is wonderful green. (○´艸｀)
The video-01 of Saiho-ji Temple
The video-02 of Saiho-ji Temple
The garden is covered with moss. (○´艸｀)
6.Goshuin of Saiho-ji Temple
This is Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) issued by Amitabha Tathagata who is the principal object of worship of Saiho-ji Temple.
This is a rare Goshuin(shrine seal or stamp) using 2 pages.
7.How to get to Saiho-ji Temple
The nearest station of Saiho-ji Temple is Hankyu Arashiyama-Line Matsuo-Taisha station.
(We can also go by bus from JR Kyoto station, Hankyu Shijo-Kawaramachi station and Hankyu Arashiyama station.)
■Route Example (From Osaka (Umeda))
■Route Example (From Kyoto)
■When you go on foot from Hankyu Arashiyama-Line Matsuo-Taisha station.
It’s about 30 minutes (1.2km) on foot.
■When you get on a bus from JR Kyoto Station
Timetable and Route Search of bus
・Route No.73 [Bound for Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple]
Bus company：Kyoto Bus
Routes/Destination：No.73 [Bound for Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple]
Boarding bus stop：Kyoto Sta. [C6]
Alighting bus stop：Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple
Bus fare：230 yen
Time required：About 56 min
■When you get on a bus from Hankyu Kawaramachi Station
Timetable and Route Search of bus
・Route No.63 [Bound for Arashiyama, Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple]
Bus company：Kyoto Bus
Routes/Destination：No.63 [Bound for Arashiyama, Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple]
Boarding bus stop：Shijo Kawaramachi
Alighting bus stop：Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple
Bus fare：230 yen
Time required：About 62 min
■When you get on a bus from Hankyu Arashiyama Station
Timetable and Route Search of bus
・Route No.63,73 [Bound for Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple]
Bus company：Kyoto Bus
Routes/Destination：No.63,73 [Bound for Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple]
Boarding bus stop：Hankyu Arashiyama Sta. [South]
Alighting bus stop：Kokedera Temple, Suzumushidera Temple
Bus fare：230 yen
Time required：About 8 min
■When you take a taxi
From Kyoto Station：3,010 yen ~ 3,600 yen (about 20 minutes)
From Gion-Shijo Station：3,250 yen ~ 4,000 yen (about 25 minutes)
From Hankyu Arashiyama Station：1,170 yen ~ 1,360 yen (about 10 minutes)
・Let’s show a taxi driver the following phrase.
・If you want to call a taxi, let’s show the following phrase.
[Phone number of taxi dispatch : Around the Kyoto Station]*Japanese text only.
[Phone number of taxi dispatch : Around the Arashiyama Station]*Japanese text only.
8.Hotel search & reservation around Saiho-ji Temple
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Have a nice trip! XD
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