Natural art created by autumn leaves and moss. The contrast of red and green is outstanding and fantastic! It is away from the hustle and bustle of Kyoto. You can enjoy the tranquility and nostalgia in the Sagano area.

Sagano literally means “field of Saga.”

Emperor Saga built his villa here. The area is a hidden gem, and it has several old temples and a town preservation center using an old merchant house.

This temple is characterized by over 1200 stone statues of Rakan, Buddha's enlightened attendants. Each statue was carved and donated by ordinary people. From 1981 to 1991, the former head Buddhist priest and a Buddhist sculptor taught people how to carve their own Rakan. Each Rakan holds the creator's treasured items, like a baby or boxing gloves. Every Rakan has its own unique characteristics, some cute and others humorous. Over time, moss grows on the statues, beautifully showing the passage of time.

The main hall was built in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and houses various Buddhist statues. Among them, the Hiun Kannon (Kannon is the Buddha of Mercy), carved by the former head priest, stands out. The statue holds a jewel with a cross on it, symbolizing the transcending of religious barriers. While this is a Buddhist temple, the cross represents Christianity. During World War II, the priest was sent to battlefields and wanted to comfort the spirits of all the war dead, including the enemy. The Hiun Kannon also serves as a guardian Buddha for tourists in flight, and visitors pray here for a safe journey.

 This building appears to be one story, but it is actually a two-story structure. It was intentionally designed this way because the area has been a town leading to Atago Shrine since the 17th century. Building a two-story structure was forbidden because it was considered impolite to look down on the procession of Imperial Court members and warriors from the second floor.

 This area, once known as Adashino, was a burial ground. In Japan today, the dead are cremated. However, during the Heian period, people without family or relatives were left on the ground. About 1200 years ago, the great Buddhist monk Kobotaishi Kukai founded the Adashino Nenbutsu Temple here for these souls. There are over 8,000 stone stupas to comfort the departed souls of homeless people, collected from this area.

The word "Adashi" means empty. The Kanji character, 化, signifies that life turns into death and later people are reborn in this world. It also represents people's wish to go to the Buddhist Pure Land. At the end of August each year, visitors offer candles to the stone tombs and pagodas to console the spirits of the deceased. The number of candles is 1000. The illuminated temple creates a mystical atmosphere. 

 After walking through the bamboo path, you will come across a six-faced, six-bodied Jizo, a kind of Buddha. It represents a row of six Jizo statues, symbolizing the six worlds of Buddhism: hell, hungry demon, animal, shura (fighting spirit), humanity, and heaven, where people are reborn after death. If you sprinkle water on it, your sins for the year will be washed away.

Maintaining the moss garden is challenging due to the strong sunlight. The temple staff diligently sprinkle water for two hours starting at 6 am and remove fallen leaves. They care for the garden daily, sometimes spending the entire day cleaning it. The garden boasts 20-30 different kinds of moss.

This nunnery has a beautiful moss garden and a tragic love story. During the Heian period (794-1185), Gio, a beautiful dancer (then called Shirabyoshi, now Geiko or Maiko), was deeply loved as a courtesan by a powerful lord, Taira no Kiyomori. She lived peacefully with her mother Toji and young sister Gigyo in his mansion.

One day, a young dancer named Hotokeno-gozen visited Kiyomori's house and asked to dance for him. He initially refused because he already had Gio as his courtesan, but Gio felt sorry for Hotokeno-gozen and convinced Kiyomori to watch her performance. As soon as he saw her dance, Kiyomori fell in love with Hotokeno-gozen. Eventually, Gio and her family had to leave the mansion, making way for Hotokeno-gozen.

Hotokeno-gozen, feeling sorry for Gio, became depressed. Kiyomori tried to cheer her up by making Gio dance in front of her. Humiliated, Gio considered suicide, but her mother and sister persuaded her otherwise. She then became a Buddhist nun, and the three women opened a nunnery deep in the sparsely populated area of Sagano, shaving their heads to bid farewell to the greedy world.

Later, Hotokeno-gozen, who had become Kiyomori's courtesan, left his home and visited the nunnery. She also felt the impermanence of this world and decided to become a nun. Gio welcomed her, and she joined their group, spending the rest of her life chanting sutras with them.

In the Buddhist room, there were wooden statues of Kiyomori and the four women, believed to live in peace and harmony in the Buddhist Pure Land. The room also has a large round window called Yoshinomado, also known as the "window of the rainbow." The shadow reflected on the window looks like a rainbow.

From this tiny, rustic house with a thatched roof and mud walls, you can sense Wabi and Sabi, the austerity and beauty of simplicity. This was the home of Kyorai Mukai, a disciple of Basho Matsuo, the famous haiku poet of the Edo period (1603-1867). Basho visited three times and wrote the Saga Diary during his stays. A straw-woven hood and coat are hung on the gate, indicating that the resident was at home.