Saimyō-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Mashiko, Japan
Saimyō-ji is a Shingon temple in Mashiko whose low, dark wooden hall sits behind wide stone stairs. A purple curtain with two white circles and a red banner reading 西明寺 hangs across the front, and four square pillars frame the entrance. Carved stone lanterns top the low walls flanking the steps, with a matching pair at the bottom.
Legend credits the priest Gyōki with founding Saimyō-ji in the Tenpyō period (729–749), or Ki no Arimaro with expanding an earlier chapel in 839. After falling into disrepair in the 12th century, it was rebuilt by Utsunomiya Kagefusa in 1209, and Hōjō Tokiyori ensured the complex was completed in 1255. The rōmon gate dates from 1492 and the three-story pagoda from 1538.
The temple houses a distinctive statue of Enma, the Buddhist judge of the afterlife, shown with a notably smiling expression. This portrayal stands apart from the stern depictions commonly found in other temples.
The temple sits along the Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage route and welcomes both religious practitioners and general visitors. The mountainside location requires a walk uphill to reach the main buildings.
The temple grounds contain a rare collection of square-stemmed bamboo, a Chinese species with angular stalks. This unusual plant variety is seldom seen in Japanese temple gardens.
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