Kyuanji Temple is the 12th site on the Kansai Flower Temple pilgrimage. With peonies and rhododendrons in spring, hydrangeas and water lilies in early summer, then autumn foliage followed by camellias and wintersweet in the winter, the foliage is always beautiful, no matter what the season. The temple is believed to have been founded in 725 by the priest Gyoki, who enshrined a thousand-armed statue of the deity Kannon as the principal object of worship. The temple is also said to be the site where ancient ruler Hideyoshi worshipped the Sankoshin or "three great gods of Japan" and spent time gazing at the moon. The entryway - a two-story romon tower gate - is a graceful structure built using unique approaches and, as designated the nation's most beautiful romon gate, is a national Important Cultural Property. The temple also boasts a beautiful Kokuen garden. They contain pools in the shape of Sanskrit characters, earning them the nickname "the mandala gardens."