The mysterious beauty of a 600-year-old Japanese temple in autumn

Every year, when autumn comes, Saijo Daiyuzan Temple, Kanagawa Province (Japan) puts on a new coat of beauty that is both mysterious, sacred, and serene.

As one of the oldest temples in the Kanto region with a history of 630 years, Saijo Temple always attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to worship and sightsee, especially in autumn.

Saijo Daiyuzan Temple was started on March 10, 1394 by Zen master Ryoan Emyo.

According to legend, Zen Master Ryoan Emyo was originally a landlord but became a monk at a temple in Kamakura city, Kanagawa province, during a period of civil war.

After many years of ascetic practice in various temples in Japan, at the age of 50, the Zen master returned to Sagami (the old name of present-day Kanagawa prefecture) to practice meditation.

According to folklore, around the year 1393, while this Zen master was meditating outdoors, a large eagle grabbed his monk's robe, flew into the Ashigara mountains and left it on a large pine tree.

The Zen master thought that this was a special opportunity with Buddhism, so he meditated under this pine tree. Sure enough, just a few minutes later, the robe fell down and covered him. This was the reason why the Zen master decided to build Saijo Daiyuzan Temple a year later.

The hundreds of years old mossy temple is surrounded by giant ancient trees, a small stream flows all year round.

This is considered an ideal destination for those who love meditation, not only helping to calm the mind but also bringing practitioners good health both physically and mentally.

Visitors can register to experience meditation, copy Buddhist scriptures and enjoy vegetarian dishes at Saijo Daiyuzan Temple.

Another special feature of this temple is that it displays many pairs of wooden clogs (in Japanese, “geta”), often used by Japanese monks, including a pair that has been recorded as the largest clogs in the world.

In addition, autumn is the “golden time” for visitors to visit Saijo Daiyuzan Temple with red maple trees and yellow maple trees that are hundreds of years old, bringing a very special experience to visitors, especially in the evening.