The super famous Zen garden in Kyoto. Sanzenin Temple in Ohara
Today’s tour will introduce you to Ohara Sanzenin Temple, a scenic spot in Kyoto with a soothing garden, and local gourmet food. Access to Ohara Sanzenin Temple is a 1 hour 20 minute bus ride from the bus stop in front of JR Kyoto Station. Ohara Village is famous for its red shiso fields. From the bus stop at Ohara-Sanzenin Station, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the temple. Ohara Women’s Path is a relaxing path where you can enjoy nostalgic shops and natural scenery. It is located north of Kyoto, so it is cooler than the city. I arrived around 9am, so not many shops were open yet. It seems that many shops are closed on Wednesdays. I stopped by the shop on my way back from visiting the temple. Ohara Sanzenin is a temple with a history of 1200 years. We will have tea at Shuhekien. “You can enjoy a tea ceremony in this garden for 600 yen. Shuhekien is a garden that is designed to look its most beautiful when viewed from a building. This is a Japanese confectionery called yokan. The sweetness of red beans and sugar goes well with bitter tea. Shuhekien is characterized by its pond-like garden design, which is centered around a pond and a water stream, and has been designated as one of Kyoto’s most beautiful sights. It’s so comfortable that you’ll want to sit there forever. Go through the building and head to the next garden. This garden is designed to be enjoyed by strolling around the pond. This path leading to Ojo Gokuraku-in Temple, where the national treasure Amida Triad is located, is said to be a bridge between this world and the next. A restored color version of the ship-bottom shaped ceiling is on display in the Ennyuzo. We will go looking for the “WrapperJizo” statue that this temple is famous for. We will go looking for the “warabe Jizo” statue that this temple is famous for. These small Jizo statues, created by sculptor Takashi Sugimura, stand in the moss area just past Yusei-en and Ojo Gokuraku-in. Found it! They’re small, so don’t miss them! I didn’t notice it when I was taking the video of the pond, but there are three Jizo statues around the pond. Were you able to find them? We head to the limited-time hydrangea garden. We will pass by Benzaiten, one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. This year the rainy season was short and it was so hot that I thought the hydrangeas would wither, but they are blooming beautifully. Next, let’s go see the very cute baby Jizo statues. Osanajizō is a Jizo Bodhisattva who is worshipped as a guardian of children. Japanese people find it elegant to have moss growing on the Jizo. The moss looks like hair and is so cute. Wow! These look like the smallest Jizo statues. They’re about half the size of the brochure. Before leaving the temple, we soak up plenty of natural energy and head to Ohara Women’s Path, where there are souvenir shops and restaurants. Wow! At this restaurant, you can eat freshly made yuba. This is a pickle shop. Kyoto has the highest consumption of pickles in Japan, so there are many long-established pickle shops. The three major pickles in Kyoto are senmaizuke, suguki, and shibazuke. Ohara is a production area of red shiso, and is famous for its shibazuke made with red shiso. It is so famous that some people visit Ohara just to buy pickles as souvenirs. This street, which connects the Ohara bus stop to Ohara Sanzenin Temple and Jakkoji Temple, is called the Ohara Women’s Path and was once a road traveled by women of Ohara. Ohara women were female peddlers who carried firewood and agricultural products harvested in Ohara on their heads and walked around the city of Kyoto to sell them. This was a custom of Ohara that continued for about 800 years, from the Kamakura period to the early Showa period. Oh, there are cherry blossom shaped spoons and forks. The Warabe Jizo T-shirt and magnet would make a great souvenir of trip. This is a homemade shop that sells miso with yuzu and sansho pepper for topping on fried tofu, chicken, and fish. I had been looking forward to coming to this store for a long time. Shiso juice and yuzu juice. Shiso juice is rare, so I’d like to try it. Very Shiso flavor! And Yuzu juice, let’s try! Wow, very fruity! Shiso juice is recommended for those who like herbs and pickled plums, while the yuzu flavor is recommended for first-time visitors to Japan. This shop sells ponzu sauce and dressings, but you can also buy bottled yuzu juice. Ohara has the Ohara Women’s Festival in May, and it’s interesting to see the different costumes from different eras. This stone monument is inscribed with the lyrics of a song sung by Ohara Sanzenin called “One Woman Alone.” I wish you lots of good things today. See you again soon.
Explore the tranquil beauty of Sanzenin Temple in Ohara, Kyoto!
Nestled in lush nature, this temple boasts the stunning Yuseien garden, national treasure Amida Triad statues, and breathtaking seasonal views.
Don’t miss this tranquil journey!
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Red perilla field
00: 26 Nature and souvenir shops in Ohara
01:26 Ohara Sanzenin Temple
01:38 Shuhekien garden
03:00 Yuseien garden
03:45 Warabe Jizo statue
04:40 Hydrangea garden
05:15 Osana Roku Jizo statue
06:21 Ohara Women’s Path
08:12 Tea House and Miso shop
📍 Access: About 60 minutes by bus from Kyoto Station
http://www.sanzenin.or.jp/en/
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