A line of Stone Lanterns (tōrō) at Yugasan Rendaiji Temple in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. The temple was opened about 1,300 years ago on a mountain with a main peak of 300 meters.
In the last part of our visit to Takao, one hour north of Kyoto, we reach Kosan-ji Temple (sometimes also written as Kozan-ji). Wrapping up our visit there, we notice that (a) buses back to Kyoto aren’t that frequent and (b) we’ve gotten quite hungry from all the climbing - so we find a local restaurant with a nice view of the Kiyotaki River, and have a bowl of noodles 🍜
In part 2 of a small photo series from Takao, located a 1-hour bus ride north of central Kyoto, we leave Jingo-ji Temple and walk to Saimyō-ji. After a short climb, we step through the main gate to reach the inner premises of the temple, where we find many stone lanterns overgrown with moss. Saimyō-ji was first constructed in the years 824-834; its current main hall dates from 1700. A very calming place.
Adding on to yesterday’s post, here are a few more photos from Takahata Fudoson Kongoji, a temple located on the western outskirts of Tokyo in Hino. In addition to a beautiful five-storied pagoda, the temple also features a pleasant hiking course through a forest, with 88 Jizō statues located along the trail.
Kennin-ji (建仁寺) is Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, and it's a staggeringly beautiful place that is renowned for its indoor decorative paintings and its perfectly tended gardens. It also provides a haven of quietness not far from the overtourism craze that the nearby Gion district has become over the last decade.
All photos shot with Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.
Directly to the east of Kita-Kamakura Station is Engakuji (円覚寺) - one of the most important Zen Buddhist temple complexes in Japan, originally founded at this site in 1282 (although none of the original buildings survived). A few full-size photos taken during our visit there today - the first plum blossoms were already open! 🌸
Yakushiji in Nara, one of Japan's oldest temples, was constructed by Emperor Tenmu in the late 7th century for the recovery of his sick wife. It is one of the country's most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples, and is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara" UNESCO World Heritage site. Yakushiji's layout is symmetrical, with two main halls and two three-storey pagodas.
At Kennin-ji (建仁寺), Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, I saw this man sitting quietly in a corner, and the classic architecture provided an opportunity for this situational portrait. The beautiful temple also includes astonishing two-fold screens by Tawaraya Sōtatsu of Raijin and Fūjin, two important Shinto gods - see the second photo for a replica on the cover of my Goshuinchō (seal stamp book).
Naka-in is a Buddhist temple in Kawagoe built in the year 828, said to be the origin of tea culture in Kawagoe and Saitama Prefecture. It is also a pretty nice spot to view autumn leaves, a little away from Kawagoe’s frequently overcrowded historic city center.
All photos shot with Mamiya 6 and 50mm f/4 lens on Fujicolor Professional Pro 400H film.
The quiet and peaceful entrance to Gannenji (願念寺), a small temple in Kanazawa. This location is in close proximity to Myōryūji, which is commonly known as “Ninja Temple”.
Shot with Mamiya 6 and 50mm f/4 lens on Fujicolor Pro 400H medium-format film.