Takehara's Tourist Attractions
Saihoji Temple and Fumeikaku（西方寺・普明閣） Takehara city center area
Saihoji Temple is a local landmark that can be seen from locations around Takehara. The Zen temple was built on a hill overlooking the historic district. It was originally founded in a nearby town in 1560. After being destroyed by a fire in 1602, it was moved to its current location.
The temple is famous for its viewing platform and impressive stone wall, which resembles that of a castle.
The Fumeikaku (Kannon Hall) was built in 1758 to enshrine Juichimen Kannon (Eleven-Headed Kannon), a manifestation of Kannon (Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva of compassion. The veranda is cantilevered over the edge of the sacred site, offering panoramic views of the entire historic district and surrounding landscape.
In the precincts of the temple is the Asakarizuka Mound, a memorial to the haiku poetry of Takehara during the Edo period (1603–1867).
The temple was immortalized in the 1983 movie, Toki o kakeru shojo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), directed by Obayashi Nobuhiko (1938–2020). Saihoji is an important part of the town’s landscape and has been designated an Important City Heritage Site.