「永興寺」山口県岩国市・”Yokoji temple” Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi pref.

「永興寺」山口県岩国市・”Yokoji temple” Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi pref.

永興寺（臨済宗天龍寺派）は大内氏によって鎌倉時代に創建された。その二世・夢窓疎石による枯山水の遺構が境内奥の山の斜面に残されている。その斜面の岩肌の質感を見た瞬間、脳裏に同じく夢窓疎石による京都天龍寺の曹源池庭園滝石組を想起する庭園ファンも少なくないと思う。庭園遺構は滝石組跡からさらに西の斜面にも続いており滝石組の真上あたりへと斜めに上っていくスロープが確認できる。当時は滝上部に貯水槽があり来客などの際に咳を取り外し滝に水を流していたらしい。手前の景石群は江戸時代の新しいものだが石のテイストに統一性が感じられないので中には室町時代の古い景石が幾つか混じっているかもしれない。将来的この夢窓疎石の庭園遺構を再生し新しい庭を作る計画があり担当する作庭家は枡野俊明とのこと。境内表側の薬師堂前には石庭がある。この庭は薬師堂建立時の平成２４年にあわせて作庭されたもので薬師堂を施工担当した地元岩国市の建設会社「太昭組」によるもの。築地塀を隔てた「紅葉谷公園」は紅葉の名所。公園内には岩国市出身の当時の朝鮮総督府が朝鮮から贈られた李氏朝鮮時代の六角浮見堂「六角亭」があるのであわせて見学したい。

◼︎名称：永興寺

◼︎住所：山口県岩国市横山1-10-27　

◼︎TEL.：0827-43-2734

◼︎拝観時間：9:00-17:00

◼︎駐車場：無料駐車場あり

◼︎アクセス：

JR山陽本線　岩国駅からバスで20分（錦帯橋方面行き）

「錦帯橋」バス停下車、徒歩10分

JR山陽新幹線　新岩国駅からバスで10分（錦帯橋方面行き）

「錦帯橋」バス停下車、徒歩10分

山陽自動車道　岩国ICから車で7分

”Yokoji temple” Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi pref.

Yokoji (Tenryu-ji school of Rinzai sect) was founded by the Ouchi clan about 700 years ago during the Kamakura period.

In the Muromachi period, the remains of a dry landscape garden created by the second chief priest, Soseki Muso, are left on the mountain cliff in the back of the precincts. At the moment of seeing the texture of the rock surface of the slope, there are many garden fans who recall the waterfall stone arrangement of Sogenchi Garden in Tenryu-ji Temple in Kyoto, also by Soseki Muso.

The remains of the garden continue from the remains of the waterfall stone arrangement to the cliff to the west, and you can see the slope that leads directly to the top of the waterfall. At that time, there was a water tank at the top of the waterfall, and it seems that water was flowing into the waterfall only when visitors came.

The scenery stones in the foreground are new from the Edo period, but the taste of the stones lacks consistency, so there may be some old scenery stones from the Muromachi period mixed in.

In the future, there are plans to create a new garden using the remains of Muso Soseki's garden, and the gardener in charge is Masuno Shunmyo.

There is a rock garden in front of Yakushido on the front side of the precincts. This garden was created in 2012 when Yakushido was built, and was created by Taisho-gumi, a local Iwakuni construction company that was responsible for the construction of Yakushido.

The road in front of Yokoji Temple is the entrance to Momijidani Park, a famous spot for autumn leaves. In the park, there is a hexagonal Ukimido "Rokkakutei" of the Joseon Dynasty, which was given by Korea before the war, and it is surrounded by a Japanese garden.

◼︎Name: Yokoji Temple

◼︎Address: 1-10-27 Yokoyama, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

◼︎TEL.：0827-43-2734

◼︎Opening hours: 9:00-17:00

◼︎Parking: Free parking available

◼︎ Access:

JR Sanyo Main Line 20 minutes by bus from Iwakuni Station (bound for Kintaikyo Bridge)

Get off at "Kintaikyo" bus stop and walk for 10 minutes

JR Sanyo Shinkansen 10 minutes by bus from Shin-Iwakuni Station (bound for Kintaikyo Bridge)

Get off at "Kintaikyo" bus stop and walk for 10 minutes

Sanyo Expressway 7 minutes by car from