Tucked
away between the Hira-san-kei and Kitayama mountains of northern
Kyoto lies the tranquil town of Ohara. Reachable from downtown Kyoto
in less than an hour by bus (20km), this small hamlet is a popular
destination for tourists, especially in autumn when the leaves begin
to change colour around a week earlier than in central Kyoto. The
town has its roots in agriculture, and a series of wide rice paddies
sprawl out towards the mountains from the quaint country lanes to
make this an ideal destination for those in the mood for a rural
stroll.
The
town's most popular attraction is the famous Sanzen-in Temple, which
was established in the late 8th century by revered monk
Saicho, or Dengyo Daihi (762-822), who introduced Tendai Buddhism to
Japan shortly before in the year 804. The lanes leading up to the
temple's entrance are lined with stalls selling omiyage
(souvenirs) and Tsukemono
(Japanese pickles) sourced from the land around the town.
Upon
entering Sanzen-in, visitors walk through a maze of corridors
connecting the temple's different buildings to arrive at Kyakuden
Hall. From here, one can sit down on soft mats and look out of the
paper sliding doors on the Shuhekien Garden. The garden is beautiful
in early autumn as the leaves begin to change colour on the wide
array of plants at different speeds, creating a collage of colour and
texture.
From
Kyakuden, visitors continue through the temple corridors and out to
Yusei-en, the moss garden and Sanzen-in's most famous space. Thick,
dark-trunked trees rise up like columns all around, the canopy
keeping the garden eerily shaded throughout the day. Moss climbs up
the trees from the floor, where it is green and lush and pierced by
stone heads poking out of the ground to gaze upon passers-through.
The moss garden is also home to Ojo-Gokuraku-in Hall, the oldest of
the temple's buildings, originally dating from 985. A walk along the
dust paths of the garden brings visitors out of the trees and back
into the light of day, and with it, into an explosion of reds and
golds and yellows from the leaves of the plants all around.
Exiting
the temple brings visitors back into the mishmash of narrow lanes
that wind through the old town. Along them are more temples; one
being Shorin-in, built in the year 1013 by monk Jakugen and centre of
the Tendai practice of Shomyo (an ancient chant deriving from India that
expresses admiration for Buddha), and more picturesque autumn
foliage.
