Kai-Zenkoji

Kofu's best known temple looms above the vineyards

Cathy Cawood Sep 01, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>View of main hall framed by the gate</p>

<p>Beautiful pine trees lean over the path</p>

<p>One of the statues is playing hide and seek!</p>

<p>Lilies bloomed in the summer gardens  </p>

<p>View of the gate from the incense burner</p>

<p>A very long pine branch had been trained across the front of the temple</p>

<p>Intricate wood carvings decorated the temple eaves</p>

<p>The tall doors of the temple stood open</p>

<p>The paint on the temple was worn and flaking</p>

<p>This statue of Buddha seems to be blessing the flowers</p>

<p>Kai-Zenkoji had one of the clearest ponds I've ever seen</p>

<p>The pond contained many koi, but there was one very beautiful golden koi</p>

<p>View of Kai-Zenkoji over the cemetery</p>

<p>There are many vineyards around the temple</p>

There are two temples named Zenkoji, one in Nagano, and one in Kofu in Yamanashi. The latter is usually called Kai-Zenkoji (Kai is the old name for that part of Yamanashi.) This beautiful and distinctive temple was established by samurai hero Takeda Shingen in 1565. The main hall is very large, and you can see it rising above the area's vineyards from far away. It has one of the cleanest, clearest ponds I've ever seen, containing an excellent collection of large and beautiful koi.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...