Perched on the side of a hill in the north of Kyoto since 1282, Shoden-ji offers a unique perspective over Kyoto and Mt. Hiei. The classic karesansui (dry landscape) garden in front of its main hall is simply bordered by a white wall, a design similar to the much more famous Ryoan-ji. The garden design does not involve rocks, however, but instead consists in three groups of nicely trimmer rhododendron bushes (satsuki to be precise). A gate in the far right corner completes the scene. Outside the garden walls, on either side of the narrow valley, are tall pine trees and a cherry tree. The roof of a lower temple can also be seen with Mt. Hiei appearing in the distance; a classic case of "borrowed scenery".
The satsuki bushes are arranged in 3-5-7 groups; these numbers may be related to the Shichi-go-san ritual of Shintoism. Satsuki bloom in late May, which is the best season to visit this temple. Autumn colours are present but limited, and you'll be lucky to see the cherry tree blooming in spring.
Shoden-ji was apparently a favourite place for David Bowie, although to be honest it seems like he only visited once. But hey as you can imagine the temple is very proud of his visit(s).
Although a bit far from other famous spots, Shoden-ji can be combined with a group of three temples located south, 20 minutes away on foot: Genko-an (源光庵), Koetsu-ji (光悦寺) and Josho-ji (常照寺). Recommended for: Access: 400 円 Nearby: Jinkō-in 神光院 (630m), Jōshō-ji 常照寺 (880m), Genkō-an 源光庵 (980m), Myōken-gū 妙見宮 (1.1km), Kōetsu-ji 光悦寺 (1.2km) External links: ウィキペディア, Kyoto Navi, Kyoto Design, 京都風光, Marutake, そうだ京都, Satellite view, Map Keywords: Japan, 日本, Japon, Kyoto, 京都, Kita-ku, Shoden-ji, temple, 正伝寺, 寺院, 仏閣 Statistics: visited on 6 occasions, id 264, 16 photos (30 extra photos can be found in the archive). |
