See & Do
Uchiyama Eikyu-ji Temple Ruins

12^th Century

Where cherry blossoms flutter in the winds of a former temple.

Less than one kilometer south from Isonokami Jingu shrine along the Yamanobe-no-Michi path is a small pond that once belonged to one of the most beautiful temples in the region.

Eikyu-ji temple was established in 1114 CE on the orders of Emperor Toba, the 74^th emperor of Japan. With “Eikyu” coming from the time period, the temple also had a mountain on its grounds, so people added “Uchiyama”, meaning “mountain inside” to its name. The temple was then referred to as Uchiyama Eikyu-ji temple.

At the height of its size and status, it is said to have had over 50 temple buildings, and the path leading to the temple from the Kamikaido road, the main road of the region, never ceased to have visitors.

Uchiyama Eikyu-ji temple was once so beautiful that it was called the “Nikko of the West”, in reference to Nikko Toshogu shrine in Tochigi Prefecture, but its condition changed over time. Its Buddhist statues and paintings were scattered or lost, and between 1874 and 1876, every last stone pillar and roof tile were removed, leaving only the pond of the main hall.

Today, that pond is surrounded by cherry blossoms that bloom every spring, from which pink and white petals fall and float on the surface of the pond. Next to the pond is a stone monument with a poem about Uchiyama Eikyu-ji temple written by famous Japanese poet Matsuo Basho. Though it is only in Japanese, it reads, “Uchiyama / unknown to outsiders are the wonderful flowers”. Just above the pond is a rest area with a view of the pond, the Nara Basin, and a drawing of the grounds of Uchiyama Eikyu-ji temple. We can imagine what it must have been like to walk around its grounds as we look at the drawing. In addition, one important piece of Uchiyama Eikyu-ji temple is still nearby. Less than one kilometer north on the grounds of Isonokami Jingu shrine is a wooden structure that was once the worship hall of Sumiyoshisha shrine, a Shinto shrine that was on the grounds of Uchiyama Eikyu-ji temple. This worship hall was moved to Isonokami Jingu shrine, and became the worship hall for one of its auxiliary shrines, Izumo Takeo Jinja shrine. Designated as a national treasure, the roof and structure of this wooden worship hall are very beautiful. Though there is no longer a temple, it is nice to know that a piece of the temple is still nearby and visited by many people.

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