Saiho-Ji
Cost
Attractions > Kyoto > Shrines Temples > Kyoto West
About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees
Saihoji Bridge in Kyoto Japan by Ivanoff (3.0 Unported)
About
Saiho-Ji, or better known as Kokedera, (in Japanese; Koke Dera 西芳寺) is a UNESCO World Heritage site and very difficult to visit because they require and "old school" reservation made far in advance by regular mail (see "Resources" below for the Official Website). It is also costs a bit more to enter, around 3,000 yen per person.
The temple is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple and was constructed some time in the Nara Period. Originally the temple was the villa of Prince Shotoku but then converted into a Zen Buddhist temple in 1339. Saiho-Ji is very famous for it's "Moss Garden" in which over one hundred varieties of moss cover everything... which is something like you have never seen before.
Although the reservation is a bit of a pain... this keeps the temple extremely pristine and the tour is quite detailed to the point where visitors can even partake in some of the religious ceremonies. Before you can even enter the Moss Garden you are required to copy a "Sutra". Not as hard as it seems but it can take up to an hour sitting "Japanese Style"... they make you work for it! Also note that after finishing the "Sutra" (or some other activity the monks decide is needed for the day), you are only allowed 90 minutes in the garden.
Access
Closest Train Station: Matsuo-Taisha
56 Jingatani-cho, Matsuo
Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8286 Japan
Tel: 075-391-3631
20 minute walk from Matsuo Taisha Station or Kamikatsura station on the Hankyu Arashiyama Line.
Hotels & Lodging
Recommended
View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Saiho-Ji.
Hours & Fees
Hours: Saiho-Ji is only open to visitors who have made a reservation. Please visit the Official Website (Resources below) for details.
Cost: The general grounds of Shrines and Temples are free but may charge a small fee (a couple/few hundred yen) for special gardens, exhibitions, artifact viewing, etc.
Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.
Resources
Website: Saiho-Ji Homepage
