Saihōji teien
西芳寺庭園

garden at Saihōji temple

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Saihōji is a Zen temple that was converted from the Jōdo sect by Musō Soseki, who entered the temple in 1339. The garden, as renovated by him, is composed of an upper section with a dry landscape stone arrangement, and a lower one with a pond named Ōgonchi in the center. Around the pond more than ten buildings, including a two-storied reliquary, stood side by side, giving it a luxurious atmosphere. At present these buildings have been lost, and the temple is sometimes called Kokedera ("moss temple") because of the mysterious atmosphere provided by its covering of moss. It is designated a national historic site and special scenic spot, and is inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. It is located in Nishigyō ward, Kyoto.

Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.