Saihoji Temple (Website) 西方寺（WEB）

Official explanation

Saihoji Temple is a local landmark that can be seen from locations around Takehara. The Zen temple was built on a hill overlooking the historic district. It was originally founded in a nearby town in 1560. After being destroyed by a fire in 1602, it was moved to its current location.

The temple is famous for its viewing platform and impressive stone wall, which resembles that of a castle.

Read the full explanation

The Fumeikaku (Kannon Hall) was built in 1758 to enshrine Juichimen Kannon (Eleven-Headed Kannon), a manifestation of Kannon (Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva of compassion. The veranda is cantilevered over the edge of the sacred site, offering panoramic views of the entire historic district and surrounding landscape.

In the precincts of the temple is the Asakarizuka Mound, a memorial to the haiku poetry of Takehara during the Edo period (1603–1867).

The temple was immortalized in the 1983 movie, Toki o kakeru shojo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), directed by Obayashi Nobuhiko (1938–2020). Saihoji is an important part of the town’s landscape and has been designated an Important City Heritage Site.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.