Kosanji: Opaline Hill of Hope - 3

White marble garden on a hilltop

Takako Sakamoto Sep 21, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Rising high! 'Tower of Light' under the blue sky. You can feel the warm wind and light which can be felt only in the warm climate of the Seto Inland Sea area</p>

<p>'Fire From the Future' captured from the side</p>

<p>'Hill of Hope (Miraishin no Oka)' viewed from a pathway leading up to it</p>

<p>Overlooking the Seto Inland Sea beyond the 'Stage of Big Turtles (Kigyoku no Butai)'. What a refreshing view!</p>

<p>'Tower of Hope'...main symbol of this white marble garden</p>

<p>Can you see the bushes on the rocks and in the garden? They are Chinese trumpet vine, which will bloom from July to September (I visited in May, so sadly there were no flowers yet). The building at the end of the 'Pathway of Gentle Breeze' is 'Cafe Cuore'</p>

<p>The sun is setting in the west, and my favorite time of day is coming soon!</p>

<p>The monument of phoenix standing on the grounds of Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art, which is located in front of Kosanji Temple</p>

'Miraishin no Oka', the Hill of Hope, was made and landscaped by the internationally renowned sculptor, Kazuto Kuetani.

This white marble garden, which is something quite unexpected to find on the grounds of a Japanese temple, will make you feel as though you are lost in a magical world. White marble sculptures with the warm light and wind unique to the Seto Inland Sea area add a European feel to the entire place.

Having appreciated the gorgeous temple and the wonderful forest of sculptures fully, I was so happy with the satisfaction of having done something great that I forgot that I had to travel a long way back home. (All photos were taken in May, 2013)

Kosanji Series

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...