Sanzen-in Temple, Buddhist temple in Ohara, Kyoto, Japan
Sanzen-in is a temple in Ohara, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The compound holds two gardens with stone lanterns, ponds, and thick carpets of moss that spread across paths and between trees.
Saicho founded the temple as Enyu-bo on Mount Hiei between 782 and 806. It moved several times, including to Sakamoto and then to Kyoto, before being relocated to Ohara in 1871, when it took the name Sanzen-in. The Ojo Gokuraku-in, an Amida hall built in the late 12th century, was merged into the compound at that time.
The Amida Hall contains a National Treasure, the Amida Trinity statue, with both Bodhisattvas displaying the distinctive Yamato-zuwari sitting position.
The temple opens daily between March and October from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with shorter hours in winter. Visitors can join sutra copying sessions.
The warabe Jizo figures among the moss were carved by sculptor Sugimura Takashi. The temple's two boundary rivers, Ryōsen and Ritsusen, take their names from the ryo and ritsu scales of shōmyō, the Buddhist chant practiced at Ōhara.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,207 contributors worldwide.
