Kokedera (Moss Temple) Kyoto Japan 2009 by Oliver Knott
Please enjoy some impressions from the famous Moss Temple - Kokedera in Kyoto Japan. Visited in November 2009.
Information about the temple:
Saihoji, more commonly known as Kokedera, is one of Kyoto's Unesco World Heritage Sites. Entrance to this temple requires a reservation made well in advance by mail.
Kokedera means Moss Temple, referring to the temple garden's estimated 120 different varieties of moss. Visitors to the temple can walk through this spectacular garden, which has strongly influenced subsequent Japanese garden design.
Kokedera was originally the site of a prince's villa before becoming a Shinto shrine in the early Nara Period. In 1339, the shrine was renamed and converted into a Zen Buddhist temple under the priest Muso Koushi. Muso is also credited with creating Kokedera's gardens.(Text from www.japan-guide.com)