The Salad Bowl. Vol. V, No. 1. Feb. 1997.
Historic Sites in Shizuoka:
Ryuugeji Temple
Established in 1670 as a Nichiren temple, Ryuugeji can be regarded as a small-scale museum, arboretum,
art gallery, or simply a place of worship. It attracts ten to twenty thousand visitors a year according
to Ogura Koun, the 20th head of this temple.
Nearly everything at Ryuugeji is miniature in scale: that's part of its charm. Passing through its wooden
gate, one soon enters a traditional shumi-sen style garden. Visitors then come to a gallery where
many paintings are on display along with the works of Takayama Chogyuu. The paintings
here depict various Buddhist themes in a variety of styles.
The main hall of this temple has an elegant, rustic atmosphere. With its thatched roof and broad beams, the
inner sanctuary is conducive to reflection.
Westerners are likely to be baffled by the cacti and cycad in the temple courtyard. In contrast with the
flora found in many parts of the world, the plants here seem anemic, wimpy, and out-of-place. Planted
some three hundred years ago, cacti and cycad illustrate how many Japanese temples are not merely places
of worship, but also curio shops and museums. Indeed, many temples attempted to have novelty in order to
attract visitors. Novelty items include unusual plants, historical documents, or bones of revered saints.
Behind the main hall of Ryuugeji are a few hundred tomb stones, some of historical interest. Giant monuments
to officers of the Imperial Navy and wealthy politicians stand next to obscure tombs of ordinary folks.
Ryuugeji is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and charges a 200 yen admission fee.
It is located about 800 meters north of the Shimizu Municipal Hospital and 300 meters west of
the main Hitachi plant in Shimizu. Buses from Shimizu Station and Shin Shimizu Station past
Ryugeiji once or twice and hour during the daytime. The best time to visit this temple is when Mt. Fuji is in view.
Directly next to the temple is a coffee shop/restaurant called Samsara which has a fine
multi-ethnic cuisine. It is a nice place to ruminate on your experiences.
- Tim Newfields
www.tnewfields.info/sb/ryu.htm
copyright 1997 by Tim Newfields and the Shimizu City International Association