Kegon-ji
華厳寺
A Buddhist temple built for quiet — halls, gardens and incense smoke.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
What this place is
Kegon-ji (華厳寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the Tanigumi Tokuzumi neighborhood of the town of Ibigawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu image of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Tanigumi-san Kegon-ji (谷汲山 華厳寺).The temple is the 33rd and final stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route, and is the only temple on the route outside of the Kansai region.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- Main halls housing Buddhist statuary, some of it designated National Treasure or Important Cultural Property.
- Gardens designed to be looked at rather than walked through — raked gravel, moss, borrowed mountain scenery.
- Wooden architecture with deep eaves and joinery assembled without nails, often rebuilt over many centuries.
What you can do here
- Light incense at the burner and waft the smoke over yourself before entering the main hall.
- Sit on the veranda facing the garden — that is the intended way to see it, and it costs nothing extra.
- Receive a goshuin seal, or try a short zazen / sutra-copying session where offered.
- Walk the temple's pagoda, bell tower and sub-temples; many stay open later than the main hall.
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Good to know before you go
- Remove your shoes where indicated and carry them in the plastic bag provided.
- Keep voices low inside halls; photography of the principal image is often prohibited.
- Autumn foliage and spring blossom seasons bring long queues — go right at opening.
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