Shoboji temple
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TEL : 075-331-0105 Address : 1102 Oharano Minamikasugacho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto Access : Hankyu Kyoto Line Katsura West Exit > (city bus) > Minami Kasuga-cho bus stop > 8 minutes walk Parking : Parking available for 30 cars Hours : Opning 9:00 – Closing 17:00 (Last entry 16:30) Entrance fee : 400 yen |
About Syoboji temple
This temple was founded in 754. In the first half of the 9th century, Kukai – one of Japan’s most famous monks – visited the site. The statue of Kannon Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara), said to have been carved by him, is still enshrined in the main hall.
The temple hall burned down during the Onin War (1467-1477), but the temple was restored in 1615, at which time it was renamed Shoboji.
Towards the end of the 17th century, Keishoin – the birth mother of the fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tsunayoshi – became a devout follower. It subsequently became a place of prayer for successive generations of the Tokugawa family.
The main hall enshrines a rare Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva with three faces.
The garden features stones arranged to resemble 16 types of animals, such as rabbits, turtles, and owls. For this reason, it is known as the “Rock Garden of Birds and Beasts.”
