Kyoto🇯🇵Shoren-in Temple

#May2025 Shoren-in Temple is a delightful and quiet temple that exudes a palpable sense of tranquility. It is just steps from the bustling streets of Higashiyama, yet as one crosses the threshold of the temple's main gate, one feels as if one has stepped back into a simpler, more peaceful time. Sit down and sip green tea while admiring the first of four gardens, watching the light play across maple and cherry leaves, flowers, and moss. Shoren-in Temple's four gardens are famous throughout Japan, each designed by a different master of Japanese garden architecture. The gardens are sometimes illuminated at night, and sometimes feature traditional Japanese koto concerts. The temple itself is famous for its statues, as well as its place in Japanese history. Shoren-in Temple sheltered Honen and Shinran, founders of new sects of Buddhism in the 13th century. Contemporary followers of these sects consider the temple to be a particularly sacred place.