Saihō-ji (Kyoto)

Nishikyō Ward, Japan · built 1339

Saihō-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Matsuo, Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, and honzon is a statue of Amida Nyorai. The temple, which is famed for its moss garden, is commonly referred to as "Koke-dera", meaning "moss temple", while the formal name is "Kōinzan Saihō-ji". In 1994, Saihō-ji was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". Over 120 types of moss are present in the two-tiered garden, resembling a beautiful green carpet with many subtle shades. The gardens of Saihō-ji are designated as both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a National Historic Site.

Google Maps ↗ Wikipedia ↗

Garden data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Other gardens in Japan

Akabane Nature Observatory Park Akabane-Nishi, Japan Akigase Park Sakura-ku, Japan Aoimori Park Nagashima, Japan Aoyama Cemetery Minami-Aoyama, Japan Arakawa Nature Park Arakawa, Japan Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park Minami-Azabu, Japan Asuka Historical National Government Park Asuka, Japan Chinzan-sō Garden Sekiguchi, Japan