From early summer to summer, the city of Kyoto is colored by lush greenery and seasonal flowers. The soft light filtering through the trees into the moss-covered gardens, the hydrangeas wet with the rainy season, the lotus and water lilies that coolly decorate the waterside, and other quaint sights soothe the souls of all who visit.

Enkoji Temple: A tranquil garden decorated with green maples

Enkoji Temple, located in Ichijoji in the Rakuhoku area, a short distance from the city center, is a historic temple that was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu as a place of learning.

This spot is bound to be crowded during the autumn foliage season, but there are fewer tourists at this time of year.

You can spend a quiet and relaxing time gazing at the colorful green maples.

Particularly beautiful is the Togyu ​​Garden, where green maples and moss create a gradation of green.
It is also known as a "frame garden," where the pillars and lintels act as a picture frame.

The Jyugyu Garden is a stroll-style garden with a pond, and you can go out and stroll around the garden.
The clear sounds of the suikinkutsu (water chimes) softly echoing in the quiet grounds and the Jizo statue perched on a carpet of moss are soothing to the soul.

At the back of the garden spreads a bamboo grove, which was used as a motif in the works of Edo period painter Maruyama Okyo.
A refreshing breeze blows through the bamboo forest, rustling the leaves and soothing the atmosphere.

Enkoji Temple
Address: 13 Otari-cho, Ichijoji, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL：075-781-8025
Visiting hours: 9:00-17:00
Admission fee: 800 yen for adults, 500 yen for elementary, middle and high school students
HP:https://www.enkouji.jp/
Instagram:@enkouji

The cool greenery of bamboo at Jizo-in Temple will soothe your soul

Jizoin Temple, affectionately known as "Takedera" (Bamboo Temple), is an ancient Rinzai sect temple quietly nestled in a residential area in the Rakusai area.
Founded in 1367 by the garden designer and Zen monk Muso Kokushi, it is also known as the place where the Zen master Ikkyu spent his childhood.

Once you pass through the temple gate, you will find yourself in a tranquil world enveloped in bamboo groves and moss.
Along the approach to the shrine, there are rows of green bamboo that stretch straight up into the sky, and the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze and the scent of fresh greenery will fill your soul.

In the front garden of the Hojo is a dry landscape garden called the "Sixteen Arhats Garden," in which sixteen natural stones are likened to arhats (saints who have attained the highest level of enlightenment in Buddhism).

You can spend a peaceful time looking at the tranquil garden of moss and stones.

Jizoin Temple
Address: 23 Yamada Kitanocho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City
Telephone number: 075-381-3417
Visiting hours: 9:00-16:30
Admission fee: 500 yen
HP:https://www.takenotera-jizoin.jp/

◆ Iwafuneji Temple: A famous spot for hydrangeas that shine during the rainy season

A place to quietly soothe the soul during the rainy season in Kyoto - that's Iwafuneji Temple, located in the Tono area of ​​Kizugawa City.

Known as "Hydrangea Temple," this temple is decorated with approximately 5000 hydrangeas.
Approximately 35 varieties, including native mountain hydrangeas and Western hydrangeas, paint the temple grounds in red, blue, and purple.

The hydrangeas at Iwafune-ji Temple were first planted by the previous head priest in the early Showa period in an attempt to restore beauty to the temple grounds, which had fallen into disrepair.

The sight of the blossoms surrounding the three-story pagoda, which is designated as an Important Cultural Property, is like something out of a painting.
The beauty of the hydrangeas, which become even more vibrant when wet with the drizzling rain, is truly exceptional.

Another highlight is the flower water basin with hydrangea flowers floating in it.
The decorations change slightly every day, so you can enjoy different colors depending on the day.

<Best time to see hydrangeas>
Early June-early November

Gansenji Temple
Address: 43 Iwafune Kaminomon, Kamo-cho, Kizugawa City
Phone: 0774-76-3390
拝観時間：8:30～17:00（12月～2月は9:00～16:00）
Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, 400 yen for junior and senior high school students, 200 yen for elementary school students
HP:https://gansenji.or.jp/
Instagram:@gansenji_temple

◆ Oharano Shrine, reminiscent of Monet's Water Lily Pond

Oharano Shrine, located in the nature-rich Rakusai area, is a spot known for its scenery reminiscent of the works of impressionist painter Claude Monet.

Its history as a shrine is long, dating back more than 1200 years. It was founded when Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Nagaoka-kyo, by enshrining the spirits of the gods of Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara, the clan deity of the Fujiwara clan, and is also known as "Kyoto Kasuga."

You can see "Monet's Water Lily Pond" from Koisawa Pond, which is located halfway along the approach to the shrine.
The scenery created by the white water lilies that bloom all over the pond from mid-May to late August and the drum bridge that spans the pond is reminiscent of Monet's famous painting "Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge."

You can walk all the way around the pond, so take your time and enjoy the refreshing waterside scenery.

<Best time to see water lilies>
Mid-May to late March

Oharano Shrine
Address: 1152 Oharano Minami Kasuga-cho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City
TEL：075-331-0014
Visiting hours: Free
Admission fee: Free
HP:https://oharano-jinja.jp/
Instagram:@oharanojinja.official

◆ "Hokongo-in Temple" with its splendid lotus pond

Known as the 13th temple of the "XNUMX Flower Temples of Kansai," Hokongoin is a famous lotus spot and is also known as the "Lotus Temple."

The temple grounds feature a stroll-style garden with a pond that represents the Pure Land, and around 90 varieties of lotus flowers, including the Oga lotus, Shinobazu lotus, and Kan lotus, bloom one after another from early summer to midsummer.

The temple is usually open to the public only on the 15th of each month, but in July, when the lotus flowers are in full bloom, a Lotus Viewing Event is held and the gates open from 7:7 in the morning.
In the tranquil garden, you can experience up close the lotus flowers slowly opening.

The lotus flower grows straight out of the mud and blooms beautifully and dignified.
Watching them bloom in the clear morning air, giving off a gentle fragrance, is like purifying your soul. Be sure to get up early and visit first thing in the morning.

Hokongoin Temple
Address: 49 Hanazono Oginocho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City
TEL：075-461-9428
Reception hours: Usually only on the 15th of each month from 9:30 to 16:00
During the lotus viewing period, 7:30-12:00
Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children
HP:http://houkongouin.com/

[What is the difference between a water lily and a lotus?]
Water lilies and lotuses are both aquatic plants that bloom near water. They look very similar, but there are differences in the shape of their leaves and the location of their flowers. Water lilies belong to the Nymphaeaceae family, and are characterized by their flowers that bloom as if they are floating on the water's surface, and their shiny, notched leaves. They are said to have been named "water lilies" because they bloom during the day and close as if asleep in the evening. On the other hand, lotuses belong to the Nelumboceae family, and their flowers bloom higher than the water surface, and their leaves do not have any shine or notches. They start blooming early in the morning and close around noon, so it is recommended that you get up early to view them.

Text by Erina Nomura

Erina Nomura
A writer born in Osaka in 1986 and currently living in Kyoto. After graduating from university, he worked for a production company involved in a variety of media, including publishing, advertising, and the web. In 2020, he went independent and is now working as a freelancer. His areas of interest include craftsmanship, traditional culture, lifestyle, and travel. As a Kyoto correspondent for Premium Japan, he reports on the latest happenings in Kyoto through the "Kyoto News" section of the editorial department's blog.