Sanzen-in, Ohara

About this place

Sanzen-in is a Tendai Buddhist temple in the rural town of Ohara north of Kyoto, about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line and roughly an hour by bus, and it is Ohara's main attraction. It was founded in 804 by the monk Saicho, who brought Tendai Buddhism to Japan, and it is one of the few temples whose head priests once came from the imperial family. It keeps a Heian-period Buddhist triad listed as a National Treasure. The temple has large grounds of buildings linked by corridors, gardens and walking paths. The guest hall looks onto the Shuhekien garden with its small pond and hill, while around the main hall spreads a garden of thick green moss under cedars and maples, like a velvet carpet. The walk from the bus stop to the temple passes small shops and restaurants, and there are smaller temples nearby. Autumn, when the maples turn, is the loveliest time, and mornings are quieter before the groups arrive.