The head temple of the Kenpon Hokke school (顕本法華宗), a sort of Protestantism of Nichiren Buddhism, Myōman-ji's original location was in present-day downtown Kyōto, in the Teramachi Area. Prior to the Meiji Period (1868–1912), Myōman-ji was quite extensive, too. In the late 1960s, when Kyōto was forcefully developed, Myōman-ji shared the fate of other temples and had to move to a new location in 1968. The grounds of Myōman-ji are very unusual even for people who wonder around temples and shrines regularly. After passing a gate surrounded by a pond, a main path surrounded by a Karesansui style garden leads up to the main hall. To the left lie sub-temples, to the right the Hōjō. The famous “snow garden” (yuki no niwa, designed by Matsunaga Teitoku 松永貞徳 in the 17th century), which was moved from its prior location, can be admired here. From the main hall, one can enjoy a view towards Mt. Hiei. And to the right lies a concrete Indian-style (?) Sarira, which in itself is quite a site. Myōman-ji is worth visiting on sunny days, the Tsutsuji near the gate (April) or Satsuki in the garden (May) are quite nice, but the best is probably to visit on a snow day. Admission: open year-round. Nearby places of interest: Entsū-ji, Jissō-in, Iwakura Hermitage.