Sainen-ji Garden

• Designated management
• Gardens created

 

Sainen-ji Temple is said to have been created by St. Shinshoin Nichizui in the early sixteenth century. Ueyakato Landcape handled the design planning and construction for the renovation of the pathway leading from the temple gate to its main hall and the general area.

This renovation's main objectives were to offer a wider, more open space to the residents of Kami-toba, where the temple is located, and also provide a place where Buddhist words, poems, and pictures coiuld be posted in a way that harmonizes with the overall environment.

Aiming for a space where light and air can pass through easily, we pruned and neatened the shapes of overgrown trees, while using the atmosphere of existing elements such as the basin arrangement and refined stone objects.

The spacious area integrated with the main path secures a place where people can casually gather together and that can accommodate not only temple rituals, but also tea ceremonies and other smaller occasions.

Before the renovation, a bamboo fence had loosely separated the space in front of the main hall from the temple's cemetery. We replaced this fence with a charred cryptomeria board that can also be used to post information. Not only does it completely divide the space between the cemetery from the front of the main hall, it also creates a background for the front of the main temple that greatly enhances it atmosphere.

We preserved the existing crepe myrtles and magnolias and Kirishima azaleas coloring the temple grounds, and, as much as possible, transplanted weeping cherries and other plants to other areas on the project site. New cherries and white enkianthuses add autumn color while harmonizing with other plants throughout the overall space.

We also ordered the plants around the existing basin arrangement, which had long not been in use, thus emphasizing its presence, resulting in a bright impression that spreads throughout the overall space of the main hall.

Instead of throwing away the main path's original flagstones, curbstones, and stepping stones, we transferred them to the cemetery's gravel area and relaid them there. Earlier used stones were recycled to improve the walkability experienced by temple visitors.

Location: 25 Kita-Iwanomachi, Kamitoba, Minami Ward, Kyoto City
Commissioner: Sainen-ji Temple, Nichiren Sect
Landscape design and construction: Ueyakato Landscape
Design: June-December 2025
Construction: January 2025-April 2026
Area: 1st fl. exterior: 109㎡