The main objective of this paper is to try to describe the style of Saihoji garden in Kyoto by analyzing historical records. Saihoji (西芳寺) is known all over the world as a famous Zen temple. But not only the temple itself, even the affiliated garden is often described as a Zen garden (zenshuteien禅宗庭園or zensatsuteien禅刹庭園). But, as historical records show clearly, Saihoji garden had once been built under the strong influence of the Jodo thinking (jodoshiso浄土思想). Therefore, since a pond was dug and an Amida Hall was built during the late Heian period, the garden has to be recognized as a paradise garden (jodoteien浄土庭園). It is, in general, assumed that the Zen monk Muso Kokushi had reconstructed the garden in the first half of the 14th century. But since there is no concrete note in historical documents which could proof this maintenance, it is more in the bounds of possibility that he did not reconstruct the garden, or even if, this could have been happened only in such a little way that it seems not worth to be mentioned in any record. The main structure of Saihoji garden still remains from the late Heian period, probably built around 1174, the time when Fujiwara no Morokazu rebuilt the temple. Therefore, Saihoji garden must be recognized as a important cultural property dating back to the late Heian period and should not mainly be treated as a cultural property of the Muromachi period or the Nambokucho period. Historical records like kokushinenpu (国師年譜), inryokennichiroku (蔭涼軒日録) or saihojiengi (西芳寺縁起) show clearly, that it is difficult to describe Saihoji garden stylistic as a Zen garden. Even today Saihoji garden shows the quality of a late Heian period paradise garden with a Jewel pond. As far as there is no proof that Muso Kokushi constructed or reconstructed Saihoji garden, it seems to be better to describe the style of Saihoji garden with the term kyu jodoteien (旧浄土庭園, former paradise garden).
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