Sainen-ji Temple

Overview

Sainen-ji is a Jodo-shu (Pure Land) Buddhist temple in Iwamurata, Saku, Nagano Prefecture. Bearing the mountain name Ichigyozan, it is a branch temple of Chion-in, the head temple in Higashiyama, Kyoto, and has long kept its quiet composure. Set in a corner of Iwamurata, a former post town on the Saku plain, it is a locally rooted old temple worth a stop when you wish to settle your mind mid-journey.

Highlights

• ●The dignified standing of a branch temple of Chion-in, head of the Jodo school
• ●An old temple bearing the distinctive mountain name Ichigyozan
• ●Calm precincts rooted in the post town of Iwamurata
• ●A place to touch the Jodo faith that treasures the nembutsu

History

Sainen-ji is a temple of the Jodo (Pure Land) school and a branch temple of Chion-in, located in the Higashiyama ward of Kyoto. The Jodo school has drawn wide faith as a tradition that treasures the nembutsu, the recitation of Buddha's name. While maintaining its bond with the head temple, Sainen-ji has built up its path as a place of faith in Iwamurata, Saku.

Map

36.2733, 138.4772 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head from the Sakudaira area to the town center of Iwamurata
2. 2Pass through the temple gate of Sainen-ji into the quiet precincts
3. 3Pay your respects at the main hall and touch the Jodo faith
4. 4Walk the streets of the Iwamurata post town to feel Saku's history

Did you know?

💡 The mountain name Ichigyozan is a designation unique to this temple. Visiting with the knowledge that it is a branch temple of Chion-in, head temple of the Jodo school, lets you savor the quiet of the grounds more deeply while reflecting on the ties of the tradition and the background of its faith.

Nearby spots