Shōden-ji Temple — Attraction in Kyoto

The area in which Shodenji is located is called Nishigamo which is north/west of Kita-ku ( 20-30 min walk from either the Kamigamo Shrine to the east, or the Takagamine area to the west ).The nearest bus stop to Shodenji is Jinkoin-mae, one stop before the end of either line 9 or 37 to Nishigamo Shako. Shoden-ji is a temple of Rinzai sect of Budhism. The temple belongs to Nanzen-ji temple. It is located on the southern hillside of Funa-yama which is famous for Gozan Okuribi. The main attraction of the temple is its beautiful Karesansui garden completed in 1935 by a famous oldtime garden master Shigemori Mirei. We can see a clear view of Mt. Hiei in the its garden to the east as borrowed landscape. Its Karesansui garden offers one of the best Moon Viewing ( Tsukimi ) spots in Kyoto. The gentle moon light of early autumn reflects upon the white ground surface of Karesansui garden. There is no rocks in this garden. Instead of rocks you'll see nicely pruned azaleas on the white sand ground. It is called " A garden where lions are handed off " The ceiling of the main hall is called the "bloody ceiling" which is built with floorboards of Fushimi Momoyama Castle where old-time samurai warriors were killed in attempt to protect the castle in a battle and left their blood stains in 16th century. Those floorboards were preserved in commemoration of those brave samurai warriors. On the photo pasted up there shows a bloody stain of hand print and foot print of warriors fought in the past. By Trans-word+ :...

This is a small but striking temple, and the ¥400 entrance fee is well worth it. The temple features a blood ceiling that is densely covered in handprints and footprints, which makes it surprisingly chilling. This somber history contrasts beautifully with the serene garden, where carefully raked gravel and subtle landscaping create a peaceful atmosphere.

The temple complex is compact but thoughtfully arranged, and the main hall is worth a visit, though the blood ceiling is only on the outside area. We were also able to collect a goshuin here from a kind old monk, which added a special touch to the experience. With very few tourists around, it’s a quiet, contemplative spot that leaves a...

This was probably my favorite place to visit while in Kyoto. This centuries old temple is situated just up the side of a bamboo forest mountain at the northwestern end of the Osaka-Kyoto valley region. You enter a small area, with a few simple tatami rooms and a small outside area with a beautiful small zen garden, with a view of the mountain on the opposite side of the valley. Its relative difficulty to get to means that there is a very high probability you can stay there for hours with either only a few quiet and respectful locals meditating or, with luck, completely alone.

400 yen entry is worth it for peace of mind. It is something like an Onsen...