Taisan-ji, Buddhist temple in Kobe, Japan
Taisan-ji is a Buddhist temple in Kobe that features a main hall with copper-covered roofs and traditional sliding lattice doors. The grounds extend across wooded slopes and include several buildings as well as an ancient forest along a river.
This place was founded in 716 during the Nara period by Fujiwara no Umakai. After a fire, reconstruction took place in 1300, and the complex has undergone several restorations since then.
The name of this place translates as temple of the great mountain and refers to the extensive woodland surrounding it. Visitors experience the connection between Zen meditation and the natural environment, visible in the daily routines of the monks.
Access is via a mountain road suitable for vehicles, located about ten minutes north of the Takamaru highway exit. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear, as part of the route runs through the forest and along the river.
Along the Ikawa River there is a stone-carved Buddha chiseled into the rock face. The surrounding vegetation is protected by the prefecture because it contains rare tree species and untouched plants.
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