
三千院
Ohara, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City
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Temple of Moss and Quiet Mountains
Sanzen-in is the most celebrated temple of Ohara, a serene mountain hamlet north of central Kyoto. A monzeki temple of the Tendai school with imperial connections, it is famed for the Yusei-en moss garden, where rounded maples and cedars rise from a carpet of emerald moss dotted with small, smiling jizo statues. The Ojo Gokuraku-in hall enshrines a graceful Amida triad. Hushed and contemplative in every season, Sanzen-in is the heart of Ohara's temple-dotted valley.
History & Culture
Tendai Roots
Its origins trace to a hermitage said to have been founded by the monk Saicho on Mount Hiei; it later moved and developed as a monzeki temple led by imperial princes.
The Amida Hall
The Ojo Gokuraku-in, enshrining its famous Amida triad, dates to the Heian period and remains the spiritual centre of the temple grounds.
Ohara, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
- Kyoto Bus #17 from Kyoto Stn to Ohara
- ~10 min walk from Ohara bus stop
9:00–17:00 (seasonal)
¥700
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