The temple buildings of Saijoji Temple.

As I was going through my pictures deciding on this week’s article, I stumbled across some older pictures from shortly after I had gotten my first DSLR camera.  As I got more into photography, I started taking my camera out exploring interesting sites around Kanagawa to practice.  One of the more obvious places to head out to was Odawara Castle.  I lived a good bit further away back then than I do now, but I set off for the castle anyways one late January day intending to get some nice castle shots.  Shots I wound up having to go back for over a year later, as I didn’t make it to the castle until late that evening.  In Odawara station a poster featuring a beautiful mountain temple caught my eye just outside one of the small, old , local train lines.  And that is how I found Daiyuuzan Saijoji Temple in Minamiashikaga (South Ashikaga), Kanagawa, Japan.

The main courtyard of Saijoji Temple. Beyond this courtyard, there are paths and stairs that lead to the other sections of the complex.

Saijoji Temple is an old temple.  It was founded in 1394 when, according to legend, a traveling monk had a vision while resting under a cedar tree.  Soon after, he returned to the site and created a Zen temple and monastery which still exists today.  The temple complex contains about thirty different buildings, halls, and shrines spread out across the mountain side.  There is a bus from the nearby Daiyuuzan train station to the entrance, but bring your hiking shoes anyway, because from the entrance to the top shrine is a long hike up a lot of stairs.  Still, the tranquil peace of the forest and the beauty of these old style Japanese temple buildings interspersed makes for an incredible atmosphere.  Behind the upper most shrine, which is itself at the top of a long flight of stone steps, there are a series of hiking trails that go further up the mountain.  I tried following one of them, but after two hours I crossed the snow line.  The hike started to look more like a climb, sunlight was fading, and so I decided to return home.

A garden at Saijoji Temple.

If you decide to visit Saijoji Temple, it is important to realize that, like Samukawa Shrine (which I wrote about here), this is not a big tourism site.  It is still an operating Zen monastery and temple.  There are few signs and none of them are in English.  There are two small souvenir shops and food stalls near the front gate for pilgrims who travel there to worship, but that is about it.  But for Saijoji, you don’t go there for tourism or for souvenirs.  You go to experience the mountain air, the tranquility of the temple grounds, and the beauty of this place.  If that is what you are looking for, Saijoji is worth a visit.

The city of South Ashikaga from the mountainside behind Saijoji Temple.

Access:  Busses leave from in front of Daiyuzan Station on the Izuhakone Tetsudo-Daiyuzan Line from Odawara.