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OHARA |
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Though only a short bus ride from Kyoto, the collection of temples
that makes up OHARA is almost in a different world. They are all sub-temples
of Enryaku-ji , but the atmosphere here is quite different; instead of
stately cedar forests, these little temples are surrounded by maples and
flower-filled gardens, fed by tumbling streams. The sights used to be
divided into two sections: the easterly Sanzen-in and the melancholy
Jakko-in across the rice-fields, but the latter's main hall was gutted
in an arson attack in May 2000, leaving Sanzen-in as Ohara's main
attraction. There are plans to rebuild Jakko-in's main hall, but it will
be 2005 at the earliest before it is completed, at a cost of several
billion yen.
The temples
From the Ohara bus terminal, cross over the main road and follow the
lane leading east, uphill beside a small river and between stalls
selling "beefsteak-leaf" tea ( shiso-cha ), mountain vegetables and
other local produce. At the top of the steps, roughly ten minutes from
the bus terminal, a fortress-like wall on the left contains Ohara's most
important temple, Sanzen-in (daily 8.30am-4/4.30pm; ¥600). It's said to
have been founded by Saicho, the founder of Tendai Buddhism, but its
main point of interest is the twelfth-century Hon-do , a small but
splendid building standing on its own in a mossy garden. Inside is an
astonishingly well-preserved tenth-century Amida Buddha flanked by
smaller statues of Kannon (on the right as you face them) and Seishi,
which were added later.
The hillside behind Sanzen-in is covered with hydrangeas, at their best
in June, but at other times of year walk back past the entrance and
north along the lane a short distance to Jikko-in (daily 9am-5pm; ¥600,
including green tea). This monastery's prime attraction is a quiet
garden, landscaped in the late Edo period, fringed by a row of tufted
pines. It also houses a collection of antique musical instruments.
Continuing north, the lane takes a sharp left in front of Shorin-in (daily
9am-5pm; ¥300) where, if you're lucky, you might hear monks chanting,
though it's generally deserted. The large hall, reconstructed in the
1770s and containing another image of Amida, is used for studying shomyo
, Buddhist incantations practised by followers of Tendai. Shomyo were
first introduced from China in the eighth century and have had a
profound influence on music in Japan; some temples have CDs for sale if
you're interested in hearing more.
The last temple in this section, Hosen-in (daily 9am-5pm; ¥600,
including green tea) lies at the end of the lane, on the left. Like
Jikko-in, it's the garden that you've really come to see, this one much
more enclosed and almost swamped by a magnificent, aged pine and a
lovely maple. The attendants will give you a brief history of the temple
while you sip tea.
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