Kanagawa

Kanagawa's Saisoji Temple

Unexpected pleasures in remote places

Steve Morton Mar 30, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>From the walkway leading up to Shasui Waterfall it’s very easy to see this temple’s distinctive staircase</p>

<p>Some of the many monuments which can be found in the courtyard</p>

<p>Whilst two small statues can be seen in the foreground, a garden can be seen in the background through a special “window”</p>

<p>A dragon guards the entrance to the main temple</p>

<p>Many of them are brightly decorated</p>

<p>Somewhat surprisingly, this is the first time I have seen these statues covered in white bibs as they are usually bright red in color</p>

<p>In fact, there are row upon row of these interesting statues</p>

<p>A closer look at just some of these many ‘Jizo’</p>

<p>With so many of them around it`s easy to lose track of time</p>

<p>Situated towards the end of this complex is this gold colored statue</p>

<p>Whilst walking away from this statue you will come to one of this temple’s many smaller buildings</p>

<p>As with many other temples in Japan, you can usually find a small shrine within a temple complex illustrating the fusion between Buddhism and Shintoism over the course of history</p>

As on countless other walks, I happened to stumble upon something great when looking for something else. On this occasion that something great was Saishoji Temple which is located several meters away from the impressive Saishoji Waterfall.

Situated along this waterfall's main approach way, Mount Tanzawa Betsuin Saishoji Temple becomes immediately noticeable from its distinctive stone staircase which leads up to the main complex.

When walking around this temple you will be able to appreciate its many interesting structures including row upon row of brightly decorated 'Jizo' statues, providing a more than worthwhile distraction on the way to Shasui Waterfall

Steve Morton @steve.morton138

Yokohama based content creator, editor, and researcher. Steven likes, eating, reading and traveling on a streamlined budget guaranteed to make any self-respecting local gulp. When not too busy with work assignments, Steven attempts to not get lost while following Japanese tourist maps.Follow me o...