Bishamon-do's story starts in 703, when it was known as Izumo-dera and located north of the imperial palace. The temple changed its name to Bishamon-do (毘沙門堂) after a statue of Bishamonten that was enshrined there. Like many other temples, it was ravaged by wars and fire, and rebuilt at its present location in the north of the Yamashina valley, just east of Kyoto. After an imperial prince served as head priest in the temple, Bishamon-do became a "Monzeki" temple, which means that its head priests are all of imperial descent.

Bishamon-do is famous for its beautiful autumn colours, both in the temple and in the alleys that lead to it. The temple has two main gardens. The first and most famous one is also the smallest. It is arranged around a narrow pond that surrounds a small building. A stone bridge gives a final "zen" touch to the garden. This is the perfect spot for admiring autumn foliage! The second one has a larger pond with a small island, and a small mausoleum at its far end. Although the best season for this temple is definitely autumn, the cherry trees in spring also attract tourists.

As usual, tripods are prohibited but the people were very friendly and proposed to keep mine safe during my visit. Most photographers come with one, because the paths leading to the temple are free to access and tripods can be used there. The temple seems aware of that: good point!

Keywords: 毘沙門堂, お寺, temple, bishamondo, bishamon-do, bishamon-ji, 寺院, 卍, 護法山毘沙門堂

Nearby: Honkoku-ji 本圀寺 (1.1km)

id: 321, 9 photos.