Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
maple-watchers. Nison-in was originally built in the 9th century by Emperor Saga. It
houses two important Kamakura-era Buddha statues side by side (Shaka on the right and
Amida on the left). The temple features lacquered nightingale floors.
TAKIGUCHI-DERA
OFFLINE MAP
(
滝口寺
; 871-3929; Ukyō-ku, Saga, Kameyama-chō 10-4; adult/child ¥300/200; 9am-5pm; 35min
walk from Keifuku Arashiyama Station, Keifuku Arashiyama, Randen, line)
The history of this temple reads
like the romance of
Romeo and Juliet
. Takiguchi-dera was founded by Heian-era noble-
man Takiguchi Nyūdō, who entered the priesthood after being forbidden by his father to
marry his peasant consort Yokobue. One day, Yokobue came to the temple with her flute
to serenade Takiguchi, but was again refused by him; she wrote a farewell love sonnet on
a stone (in her own blood) before throwing herself into the river to perish. The stone re-
mains at the temple.
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GIŌ-JI
OFFLINE MAP
(
祇王寺
; 861-3574; 32 Kozaka, Saga Toriimoto, Ukyō-ku; admission ¥300; 9am-4.30pm; 35min walk
from Keifuku Arashiyama Station, Keifuku Arashiyama, Randen, line)
This quiet temple was named for the
Heian-era
shirabyōshi
(traditional dancer) Giō, who committed herself here as a nun at
age 21 after her romance ended with Taira-no-Kiyomori, the commander of the Heike
clan. She was usurped in Kiyomori's affections by a fellow entertainer, Hotoke Gozen
(who later deserted Kiyomori to join Giō at the temple). Enshrined in the main hall are
five wooden statues: these are Giō, Hotoke Gozen, Kiyomori and Giō's mother and sister
(who were also nuns at the temple).
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The main attraction here is the lush moss garden outside the thatch-roofed hall of the
temple. It's a small spot that is often overlooked by visitors to Arashiyama.
ADASHINO NEMBUTSU-JI
OFFLINE MAP
(
化野念仏寺
; 861-2221; 17 Adashino- chō,Saga Toriimoto, Ukyō-ku; admission ¥500; 9am-4.30pm;
40min walk from Keifuku Arashiyama Station, Keifuku Arashiyama, Randen, line)
This rather unusual temple
is where the abandoned bones of paupers without kin were gathered. More than 8000
stone images are crammed into the temple grounds, dedicated to the repose of their spirits.
The abandoned souls are remembered with candles each year in the Sentō Kuyō ceremony
held here on the evenings of 23 and 24 August. The temple is not a must-see attraction,
but it's certainly interesting and the stone images make unusual photographs.
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DAIKAKU-JI
OFFLINE MAP
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