Joganji Temple城願寺

Joganji stands on a steep hillside above the town, visible from the road but requiring either an eight-minute uphill walk or a two-minute taxi from the station. The temple was founded by Doi Sanehira, the warrior lord of this valley who supported Minamoto no Yoritomo at the opening of the Kamakura period. Sanehira chose to be buried here: 66 tombstones mark the Doi clan burial grounds, with his grave at the centre. The temple changed denomination twice over the centuries - from Shingon to Rinzai Zen to its current Sōto Zen form - but the burial grounds and the main hall have remained on the same hillside since the late Heian period.

The byakushin - a Chinese juniper, also called byakushin Chinese juniper - is the reason most visitors come. Reportedly planted by Doi Sanehira himself, it is now estimated at somewhere between 850 and 900 years old. It stands 20 metres tall; the trunk has the compressed, spiralling density of something very old, and the branches spread at an angle that suggests the tree has learned, over centuries, how to occupy space. The Japanese government designated it a national natural monument in 1939. It is the oldest living thing in Yugawara by a significant margin.

Yugawara attracted a remarkable concentration of Meiji and Taishō-era writers and artists - the onsen and the valley offered retreat from Tokyo, and the town appears in letters and diaries from Natsume Sōseki, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, and Yosano Akiko among others. Joganji, with its ancient burial grounds and the weight of the juniper, was part of what they came to see. The literary heritage angle is modest compared to some better-known onsen towns, but the temple is a legitimate piece of the same tradition.

Admission is free and there is no gate or timed entry. The slope from the station is steep: manageable for most walkers, but the official tourism site recommends a taxi for visitors with luggage or mobility concerns. Two free parking areas are available on-site. From Gosho Jinja it is an eight-minute walk along the same hillside road, making the two sites a natural half-day pairing without backtracking.

Address: Shirohori, Yugawara, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 252

Access: About 8 minutes on foot from JR Yugawara Station (steep slope), or about 2 minutes by taxi. Taxi recommended with luggage or mobility concerns

Hours: Grounds always accessible

Admission: Free

Phone: 0465-62-4010

Highlights:

• National natural monument byakushin (Chinese juniper) - est. 850-900 years old, 20m tall
• Doi clan burial grounds with 66 tombstones
• Founded late Heian / early Kamakura period by Doi Sanehira
• Literary heritage: visited by Sōseki, Akutagawa, Yosano Akiko
• Part of the town’s ‘Triple Power Spot’ route

These are points where the platforms and official pages we consulted gave us conflicting information.

• Tree age discrepancy: The official tourism site for Joganji states the byakushin is approximately 900 years old; other sources including the researcher’s summary cite 850 years. Both figures are estimates. The guide page uses ‘850-900 years’ as a conservative range. The national natural monument designation (1939) is not in question.

• Official site (Japanese)
• Wikipedia
• Official site (Japanese)