Seiryoji Temple

Seiryo-ji is a Jodo Buddhist temple in Saga-Arashiyama, Kyoto, long known as “Saga Shakado” for its revered statue of Shakyamuni Buddha said to have been transmitted through India, China, and Japan. In 986 (Kanna 2), the monk Chonen of Todai-ji returned from Song China and sought to establish a western counterpart to Mt. Hiei (to the east), aiming for the sacred Mt. Atago area; though that plan did not materialize, his disciple Seisan built a Shakado hall at the current site and enshrined the Shaka statue Chonen had brought back, establishing Godaizan Seiryo-ji. The principal image—an Important National Treasure, a wooden seated Shaka Nyorai—sits in an ornate zushi (shrine cabinet) in the main hall. It stands about 160 cm tall with a slender form, black gemstones set in the eyes, and crystal in the ears. This “living Shaka” style became widely copied and is known as the “Seiryo-ji style.” The temple is about a 15-minute walk from Togetsukyo Bridge, set among residential streets away from the busiest tourist area. The tofu shop “Mori-ka,” by the right side of the Sanmon gate, is famous for items like hiryozu (ganmodoki) and karashi-tofu, which often sell out by evening.