Saihō-ji 西芳寺
Kyoto, Japan UNESCO World Heritage Site
Saihō-ji is a Buddhist temple, Japanese garden, and memorial located in the Nishikyō Ward of Kyoto. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, it belongs to the Rinzai school and was designed by architect Jirō Murata. The temple is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, is dedicated to Amitābha Buddha, is the 114th most looked-up sight in Japan on English Wikipedia, and occupies 0.017 km2.
Planning a visit
The site is 372 km from Tokyo and can be reached via Osaka Itami International Airport, which is 32 km away from the temple. An admission fee is required to visit. The weather varies by month. The warmest month is August, with daily highs of 31 °C and lows of 23 °C. The coldest month is January, with daily highs of 8 °C and lows of 0 °C. The wettest months are June and July, which see 235 mm and 222 mm of rain.
Nearby attractions include the Bamboo Forest and Arashiyama, which are both 2.5 km away. Other nearby locations include Tenryū-ji at 2.8 km, Ryōan-ji at 5.6 km, and Tō-ji at 5.9 km.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C. The wettest is June, with about 235 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 8 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| Average low, °C | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Rainfall, mm | 66 | 84 | 129 | 133 | 184 | 235 | 222 | 138 | 204 | 144 | 88 | 62 |
| Rainy days | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 17 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
