Saiho-ji

Saihō-ji (西芳寺), also called Koke-dera, is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in Matsuo, Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto. Its formal name is Kōinzan Saihō-ji (洪隠山西芳寺), and its principal image is Amida Nyorai. The temple is best known for its moss garden, which contains more than 120 species of moss and is a major example of temple landscape design in Kyoto. The site dates to the early medieval period and is associated with long Zen and pilgrimage traditions in Kyoto. In 1994, Saihō-ji was inscribed as part of UNESCO’s Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Its gardens are also designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a National Historic Site. Visitors encounter the two-tiered moss garden, temple grounds, and the religious setting of an active Zen temple. Saihō-ji’s importance lies in both its Buddhist practice and its protected landscape, which has made it one of Kyoto’s best-known temple sites.