Saimyō-ji西明寺

Saimyō-ji, also known as Kotō-sanzan Saimyōji or Ryūōzan Saimyōji, is a Tendai sect Buddhist temple located in Kōra town. It worships Yakushi Nyōrai, the Buddha of healing, as its honzon. The temple was established during the early Heian period and is part of the Kotō-sanzan group, alongside Kongōrin-ji in Aishō and Hyakusai-ji in Higashiōmi. The temple complex features National Treasures and a garden designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty.

The exact founding date of Saimyō-ji is unclear, with the temple's website claiming it was established in 834 AD under Emperor Ninmyō, but no historical evidence exists to support this.

In 2020, an infrared survey discovered ancient Buddhist paintings of four Bodhisattva statues on the west and south pillars in front of the Yakushi Nyōrai statue in the Main Hall. The paintings, made during the Asuka period, are among Japan's oldest Buddhist art and suggest that the temple may be older than previously believed.

• Nitenmon gate

  The Niōmon, also known as the Nitenmon, is an old gateway to the temple enclosure. Dating back to 1407 from the Muromachi period, it serves as the entrance and is referred to as "the gate of the two celestial kings." The gate is made of wood in the hakkyakumon style and has a roof in the irimoya style. It houses wooden statues of Zōjō-ten, the guardian of the south, and Jikoku-ten, the guardian of the east, who represent two of the Four Heavenly Kings. In 1911, the Saimyō-ji Nitenmon was recognized as an Important Cultural Property.

• Main Hall

  The Hondō, also known as the Ruriden, is the main hall of the temple and dates back to the end of the Kamakura period. This wooden structure, made of hinoki cypress without any nails, is designated as a National Treasure. It covers an area of around 160 square meters and holds wooden sculptures, statuettes, terracotta miniatures from the Muromachi period, as well as several nationally significant cultural objects.

• Three-story pagoda

  The Saimyō-ji complex features a 24 meter tall, three-story Japanese style pagoda, known as a sanjūnotō, measuring 3 ken by 3 ken. Built towards the end of the Kamakura period by carpenters from the Hida region, the pagoda is made entirely of Japanese hinoki cypress wood, without the use of nails. The first floor of the pagoda displays murals by Kose school painters depicting the Lotus Sutra, a fundamental text in the Tendai branch of Japanese Buddhism, as well as Dainichi Nyorai and his 32 attendants. These are the only surviving Kamakura period murals. This architectural gem from the Kamakura period has been a National Treasure since 1952.

• Honbō Garden

08:30 - 16:00

Adult: 600JPY

Junior high school student: 300JPY

Elementary school student: 200JPY

26 Ikedera, Kora, Inukami District, Shiga

• Official Website (Japanese)