Moss temple

When I stepped in, it was the world of green. Everything seemed green to me.
The garden of Moss temple was designed by the famous garden designer, Muso Soseki, who also designed the garden of Tenryuji temple. But in those days, the garden was totally different from the current one. It has a pond with islands in its center. The garden didn't have moss on the ground. Instead, it had cherry trees and a pavilion like the one in Ginkakuji temple.

The founder of Ginkakuji temple, the third shogun, Yoshimasa, really loved the garden of Saihoji temple ( moss temple ), He used to say it was like a pureland in paradise. He frequently visited the garden and enjoy the scenery from the boat on the pond or the view from upstairs of the pavilion. We can imagine how beautiful it was and how colorful it was.

However, the history was getting to engulf such a beautiful garden and the pureland had gone.
The war of Onin　（1467-1478） destroyed the city of Kyoto, and most of the temples were burnt down. Saihoji was no exception. The beautiful sight had disappeared and the garden was devastated Such devastation had remained for a certain period.

The temple had no longer any visitors...
Only the visitor was "moss"
Little by little,  little by little, moss spread over the ground,  came to cover the ground and created such a beautiful green world by taking  a long long period of time.

When you are in the garden, the garden seems to be a large scale oｆ a living matter and you are sure to feel you are a part of it. The air  refreshes you and enable you to be something different.

Moss Temple  ( Saiho-ji )

To visit there, you are required to make a reservation by reply-paid card  in advance.

admission : 3000 yen
condition  : participation in Buddhist sutra writing


access : Kyoto bus ( not Kyoto city bus)
bus stop ; Kokedera mae

Byodoin, Ujigami shrine, tea room

If you have one more day for sightseeing in Kyoto, visiting Uji is one of the choices left. Open your purse, do you have 10-yen coin in it? Please look at the back side of the coin. You will see Byodoin temple on it.
Byodoin temple is very old and it was not renovated. The buidling itself is very old and not gorgeous. However, in the old days, it was painted with colorful paint, mainly red. The people in those days believed the paradise in Pureland was in the west. When you stand in front of the pond, you will see the main hall called phoenix hall in the west. They wanted to make something like the paradise in pureland there, and it was what they thought Paradise. The face of the buddha image in the hall can be seen through the round window. As you see, the architecture represents a phoenix with its wings spread.
The images and the pictures which used to be in the hall are exhibited in Byodoin museum in the precinct along the original colored main hall using computer graphics. Those are very impressive and worth seeing. They make us feel something. I can imagine how beautiful they were and how the hall stood there.


A little walk along the path between the temple and the river brings you to the city information center. There you can enjoy Tea ceremony at Taiho-an tea room. (500yen)




If you have a little more time, how about visiting another world heritage site, Ujigami shrine?
This shrine has the oldest shirine building in Japan. It is not so showy. But please imagine this building has been there down the old ages. It has never been changed, just standing there. You will surely understand why this shrine was resistered as a world heritage site.

Uji is one of the major tea producers. There are many tea shops selling various kinds of tea. The oldest tea shop gives a service of making tea. ( Kanbayashi tea shop, and Fukujuen)



Transportation ; Uji station ( JR Nara line) 10min. walk. Uji station ( Keihan line ) 5 min. walk

Byodoin ; ( Admission 600 yen, The main hall 300 yen)
Temple 8:30 AM - 5;15 PM
Museum 9AM - 4;45PM
The main hall 9:10 - 4:10

Ujigami shrine : no admission

Taiho-an tea room : open Jan. 10th - Dec. 20th 10AM - 4PM 500 yen

Ninnaji temple

Kyoto is an old city and the old capital in Japan. That's why there are many world heritage sites. And some of them are very famous and popular among not only foreign toursts but Japanese tourists. Kiyomizu temple and Kinkakuji temple are always very crowded, and sometimes you have to wait a little while just to take a simple photo.

In Ninnaji temple, you don't worry about waiting to take pictures. When you get off a bus, the old gate will come into your sight. It is not gorgeous, but I am sure you will be impressed. This temple had been relationship to Imperial family untill the end of Edo period.(1868). Imperial family had been sending one of them as a monk to this temple. So, the building of this temple has an imperial style and atmosphere.

Walking on the corridor, you may notice it has two tiers. The upper tier is for a person in a higher position, the lower one is for a person in the lower position, and the ones in the lowest had to walk on the ground. A white sand garden opens up in front of you. There is a cherry tree on the left, and a mandarin orange on the right. You can see the same style in the Old Imerial Palace. Go on walking, and the beautiful garden will be waiting for you.

Just sit down and view this garden. Spend some time here. In the distance, the Pagoda will join this sight. Pay attention to the window. Usually the buildings in temples have sliding doors and windows. The window of the building in this temple is different from those in other temples. You also see the same ones in the Old Imerial Palace. Yes, this is the Imperial style.

Let's take a look at Pagoda in the back. The pagoda was built by the Edo method. What is Edo method? I wil tell it to you at the site. Next to the Pagoda, there is Golden hall ( Kondo). It used to be the main hall of Imperial Palace (so-called Shishinden). It was moved here.

As I said above, you can fully enjoy this temple. Why don't you put this temple in your visiting list of Kyoto? You should not miss it!One thing must be added. Cherry blossoms in this temple is very famous and full crowded in middle and late April. During this period, you have to see a lot of Japanese tourists and it is very crowded.

Admission 500yen
The nearest bus stop : Omuro Ninnaji
From Kyoto station :City bus No. 26
From sanjo keihan : City bus No. 59
From Kinkakuji or Ryoanji : City bus 59

Time : 9AM - 4:30PM(Mar. - Nov.)
9AM - 4PM ( Dec. - Feb)

During the cherry season, they take an additional admission to see cherry blossoms.

Tofukuji temple

TOFUKUJI is one of the five great Zen temples in Kyoto. In 1280,ENKI, a monk who had studied in China, was appointed as the first monk of the temple. The name, TOFUKUJI, was named after "TO" of TODAIJI temple in Nara and "FUKU" of Kofukuji temple in Nara.
The Sanmon, the main gate, is the oldest of all the Zen temples existing in Japan.



In HOJO, which has four gardens; the garden of the south, the north, the east, and the west, you can see a rock and sand garden, the one with a good conbination of moss and sand, the one with a checkered pattern of moss and stones.



What I recommend is the view from TSUTEN bridge. I like the one in late April and early May. Fresh green of many Japanese maple leaves covering over the valley will impress you deeply. Of course, in Autumn, it is so beautiful with colored leaves. However, it has become so famous that countless people flock to this temple to see this beautiful scene, resulting in the temple with a rush of people.





Tofukuji temple
admission adult 400 yen
the nearest station : JR Tofukuji or Tofukuji ( Keihan line )
Tofukuji ( city bus)

10min.walk from each station.

Calmness in Koto-in

There are a lot of places to see in Kyoto. Some are very well-known and others are not. Some places in guide books are visited by so many people, especially in sightseeing seasons. We cannot enjoy those temples themselves, just looking its beauty and scene.

Why not visit Koto-in? It is one of the small temples in the precinct of Daitokuji temple. It is deelpy related to HOSOKAWA family, one of the feudal lords in 17th century. In this temple, there is the family's grave and the family's tea room.

However, what I want to tell you more than anything else is a calmness of this temple.
Once you step in the area, you will forget bustle of the big city. There exist a quiet calmness. Just sit toward the garden and listen to the sound of wind. Its calmness refresh your heart.

When I took a tourist here, he said " However hard you try to put this whole thing in a picture, it is surely impossible. The breeze, the birds, air, shade, moss...everything makes you calm."

Just stay here for a while and feel everything around you.

Certainly, you will have peace in your mind.