Jan 17, 2017 - 1 min read

Koryu-ji Temple in Kyoto

One of Kyoto's most ancient temples

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

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In the temple grounds

Reflections in the still, clear pond

Red leaves of autumn

The ground is grown over with moss

The Shin Reihoden treasure hall

A side shrine

A tree grown thick with moss

Close to Uzamasa station on the train line from Kyoto to Arashiyama, Koryu-ji is one of Kyoto's oldest Buddhist temples, said to have been founded in 603CE.

The grounds are pleasant enough, with moss growing over the ground and trees, and a couple of small ponds which add to the scenery with their reflections of the sky and the trees around them.

The main reason to visit is the buildings, and the treasures they contain. The Kodo lecture hall is the oldest building in Kyoto, constructed in 1165, and is home to three imposing Buddhist statues, among them an eight-foot seated wooden image of the Amida Nyorai, the 'Buddha of the Pure Land'.

At the rear of the temple grounds is the Shin-Reihoden treasure hall. Here you can see (but not photograph) a beautiful statue of the Miroku Busatsu, the 'Future Buddha', dating from the Asuka period (552-645). This small, delicate figure became Japan's first official treasure when it was so designated in 1951.