Kōden-ji, Buddhist temple in Saga, Japan
Kōden-ji is a Buddhist temple in Saga featuring traditional Japanese architecture with carefully designed halls set within maintained gardens and stone walkways. The grounds combine quiet interior spaces with a thoughtfully arranged landscape that invites visitors to walk and contemplate.
Founded in 1552 by Nabeshima Kiyofusa, the temple served as a family sanctuary for the influential Ryūzōji and Nabeshima clans within the Saga Domain. This connection to local nobility shaped its growth and role throughout the centuries.
This temple is closely linked to the Hagakure, a key text on samurai philosophy written here by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. The work continues to shape how people understand bushido and samurai ethics today.
The temple is located in Honjomachi in Saga Prefecture and welcomes visitors to explore its grounds on most days. Spring and early summer are ideal times to visit, when the gardens are in bloom and the weather is pleasant for walking around.
The temple houses an extraordinary artwork: a massive Nehanzo painting showing a reclining Buddha that is displayed to the public only on two days each year. This remarkable work draws visitors who time their trip specifically to see it on April 19 and 20.
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