Kiyotaki Tokugen-in Temple 清滝徳源院

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Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple (Seiryuji Tokugen-in) is a pleasant 20-min. walk from JR Kashiwabara Station on the Tokaido Line. In April, it is noted for cherry blossoms. You will also see these cherry trees next to Kashiwabara Junior High School on the way.

Mt. Ibuki and cherry trees near Kiyotaki.

Approaching Kiyotaki, a small settlement next to a mountain.

Cherry blossoms greet you at the entrance to Kiyotaki.

Kiyotaki welcome sign.

Stone lantern and Kiyotaki welcome sign.

Path to Tokugen-in temple in Kiyotaki.

The path to Tokugen-in temple in Kiyotaki is lined with cherry blossoms.

This path used to be lined with secondary temples affiliated with Tokugen-in.

Path to Tokugen-in temple in Kiyotaki in spring.

Front wall of Tokugen-in temple in Kiyotaki.

Tokugen-in temple's weeping cherry tree. The shape and color are outstanding and it's a noted tourist attraction in spring. MAP

Tokugen-in temple has two weeping cherry trees. This is the older one, about 300 years old. The original cherry tree was planted by Kyogoku Doyo in the 14th century.

This older cherry tree is about 10 meters high and a trunk 2.3 meters in diameter.

Supporting poles prop up the branches of this grand old sakura tree.

This was still not in full bloom. Maybe 80%.

You can see the second weeping cherry tree in the distance. Both cherry trees are called "Doyo Sakura" since the original tree was planted by Kyogoku Doyo.

The two Doyo Sakura trees at Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple in Maibara, Shiga. The left tree is older.

This is Tokugen-in temple's second Doyo cherry tree, planted in 1977. It is the third-generation tree.

Even the second cherry tree has a beautiful shape.

Weeping cherry tree at Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple, Maibara, Shiga.

Benches for viewing the cherry trees, made by the local Kashiwabara Jr. High School.

The second cherry tree and the Three-story Pagoda at Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple, Maibara, Shiga.

Three-story Pagoda at Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple, Maibara, Shiga. The pagoda was built by Kyogoku Takatoyo, the 22nd Kyogoku Clan leader. in 1672.

Weeping cherries and Tokugen-in temple building in the background.

Road to Kiyotaki Tokugen-in Temple in autumn. Tokugen-in is also noted for autumn leaves.

Path to Tokugen-in Temple. The temple bell indicates that there was a temple here. Tokugen-in had a number of subordinate temples here. They have all gone.

Cherry tree path to Tokugen-in Temple.

Temple wall

Tokugen-in Temple is also famous for autumn leaves in mid-November.

Stone marker

Red maples near the entrance to Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple.

Red maples at the temple entrance.

Entrance to Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple.

Front entrance to temple grounds.

Tokugen-in temple's Hondo main hall. Tokugen-in belongs to the Tendai Buddhist sect, Enryakuji School. It was founded by 1283 when Kyogoku Ujinobu built the original Hondo Hall. Ujinobu started the Kyogoku Clan. 本堂

On the left is the Hondo. The building on the right is the entrance. Pay the small admission and see the inner garden on weekends and spring/fall season.

Pay the small admission and enjoy the garden and see inside the Hondo main hall. This is inside the Kyakuden (Guest Hall). 客殿

View of Tokugen-in Temple's garden in autumn.

Kiyotaki Tokugen-in Temple garden in autumn.

View of Tokugen-in Temple's garden in autumn.

Kiyotaki Tokugen-in Temple's garden in autumn.

They also serve tea to guests.

Nice place to relax and talk while viewing the garden. Tourists maycome by the busloads in autumn though.

Tokugen-in is the family temple of the Kyogoku Clan. Inside the Kyakuden (Guest Hall). 客殿

The Guest Hall has this veranda where we can sit and admire the garden. They also served us tea.

Guest Hall and garden at Tokugen-in temple.

Garden of Tokugen-in temple in April. The temple was named after Kyogoku Ujinobu's posthumous Buddhist name。庭園

Garden of Tokugen-in temple in April. 庭園

After viewing the garden, you can see inside the temple.

Inside Tokugen-in temple's Hondo main hall. There's not much room in front of the altar.

Altar inside Tokugen-in temple's Hondo main hall.

Statue of Saicho on the right side of the main altar.

Altar on the left of the main altar in the Hondo with Fudomyoo at center. In the background on the right is the famous "ghost scroll painting." The ghost seems like it's stepping out of the picture. 絹本淡彩(けんぽんたん�Like Sadako stepping out of your TV...

The famous "ghost scroll painting" by Shimizu Setsudo. The ghost seems like it's stepping out of the picture. The scroll is displayed only during certain months.清水節堂（1876–1951）幽霊図

The famous "ghost scroll painting" by Shimizu Setsudo at Tokugen-in Temple in Kiyotaki, Maibara, Shiga.清水節堂（1876–1951）幽霊図

"Ghost scroll painting" by Shimizu Setsudo from Higashi-Azai, Shiga Prefecture. 清水節堂（1876–1951）幽霊図

Corridor from the Hondo to the Mortuary Hall (Ihaido). 位牌堂

The Corridor displayed some objects of worship that were kept by Tokugen-in's secondary temples that were nearby. Those temples are no more, but these statues were saved.

Benzaiten, goddess of music

The corridor has a few exhibits.

Portrait of Hatsu, wife of Kyogoku Takatsugu and one of the three Azai sisters.

Altar in Tokugen-in's Mortuary Hall. 位牌堂

Altar-type statues of Kyogoku clan members.

Palanquin

About the Doyo Sakuracherry tree.

Tokugen-in's Three-story Pagoda.

Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple's three-story pagoda in Maibara, Shiga.

Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple's three-story pagoda

Three-story pagoda

Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple's three-story pagoda

Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple's three-story pagoda.

About Kiyotaki Tokugen-in temple's three-story pagoda.

About the Kyogoku Clan graves at Tokugen-in temple. It was Kyogoku Takatoyo, lord of Marugame in Shikoku, who in 1672 acquired the temple land and gathered all the Kyogoku graves scattered in the area to Tokugen-in.

Kyogoku Clan graves at Tokugen-in temple. Kyogoku Takatoyo, the 22nd Kyogoku Clan leader, renamed the temple Tokugen-in after the posthumous Buddhist name of his father Takakazu.

Layout of Kyogoku Clan graves at Tokugen-in temple. There is a lower level and an upper level of graves on a slope accessible by stairs. Although Ujinobu was the first to make it the clan's family temple, it was quite dilapidated by Takatoyo's t

Entrance to Kyogoku graves. 京極

Kyogoku clan graves. Grave of Kyogoku Takatsugi is on the left.

Grave of Kyogoku Takatsugi, husband of Hatsu, one of the Azai sisters.

Graves of the Tadotsu Clan (多度津藩), a branch of the Kyogoku who ruled in Marugame. From left to right, Kyogoku Takateru (高琢), Takakata (高賢), Takabumi (高文), Takayoshi (高慶), and Takamichi (高通).

Kyogoku clan graves

The first Kyogoku grave, that of Ujinobu, the founder of the Kyogoku Clan.

View from the upper level Kyogoku graves.

Epitaph 碑文

Graves of Kyogoku Takayoshi (京極高美), Takatoo (京極高迢), and Takamasa (京極高政). They were much less prominent.

Kyogoku Takatsugi and Kyogoku Takanori's (1718-1763) grave

Kyogoku Takanori (1718-1763) and Kyogoku Takanaka's (1754-1811) graves.

Kyogoku Takatsugu's grave.

Inside Kyogoku Takatsugu's grave.

Kyogoku Takatsugu's grave.

Kyogoku Takanori's (1718-1763) grave. He was the fourth lord of Marugame in Shikoku. 京極高矩

Kyogoku Takanaka's (1754-1811) grave. He was the fifth lord of Marugame in Shikoku. 京極高中

Two lesser graves for Kyogoku Tadataka (京極忠高) and Takakazu (京極高和), the eldest son of Takatsugu.

Grave of Kyogoku Takatoyo, second lord of Marugame in Shikoku. 京極高豊

Grave of Kyogoku Takamochi, third lord of Marugame in Shikoku. 京極高或

There are steps to go up the hill where there are more Kyogoku graves. These are for the older Kyogoku members, starting with the founder of the Kyogoku Clan.

The narrow upper level has 18 gravestones, starting with the first Kyogoku Clan leader Ujinobu on the right.

The first Kyogoku grave, that of Ujinobu, the founder of the Kyogoku Clan. 氏信

View from the hill.

More autumn foliage outside the back corner of Tokugen-in.

Little Shinto shrine and red maples.

I had a great autumn photo shoot this day at Tokugen-in.

Red maple leaves

In Sept. 2018, this front wall of Tokugen-in temple collapsed due to a strong typhoon.

In Sept. 2018, this front wall of Tokugen-in temple collapsed due to a strong typhoon. It fell face down as the winds blew from behind.

It was pretty shocking to see this. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

The wall tore off from this storehouse.

The temple wall also hit and slightly damaged the temple's tourist signs.

The temple's front wall (about 20–30 meters long) collapsed in the Sept. typhoon and as of late Oct. they still had no plans to remove the debris due to a lack of manpower and funds. I couldn't bear the thought of tourists (often by the busloads) coming to see the foliage in Nov. and also see this unsightly mess of collapsed wall. Doesn't reflect well on the neighborhood and on the city.

So two of my friends and I volunteered to remove the fallen wall in mid-Nov. 2018. One friend John W. is an American experienced in disaster cleanups. Other friend was a nearby resident who had a handy chain saw. We were advised to take apart the wall and separate the materials into large bags and piles.

It took three days to disassemble the wall into scrap wood, dirt and plaster, bamboo, and kawara roof tiles.

After 3 days, the three of us disassembled the collapsed wall and produced seven large bags of kawara roof tiles, three bags of dirt and plaster, and two big piles of bamboo and scrap wood.