Visiting Bairin-ji Temple, Kurume

On Wednesday we had decided to take a drive🚙 Bairinji (梅林寺), a Rinzai temple in Kurume, Fukuoka. According to Wikipedia, the temple was the bodaiji of the Arima clan and originally located in Fukuchiyama in the Tanba Province, where it was called Zuigan-ji (瑞巌寺). In 1620, when Arima Toyoji was transferred from Fukuchiyama Domain to Kurume Domain in Chikugo Province, he relocated the temple to his new domain and named it Dairyu-ji (大龍寺). It was later renamed to Bairin-ji which is associated with his father Noriyuki's posthumous name, Bairin'in-den (梅林院殿) and became a mausoleum of the successive daimyo of the domain. 

The entrance gate of Bairin-ji.

Passing the temple gate, then go straight down the sando road to the main hall.

The Zen Hall of Bairin-ji🛕 It is always close because of young monks doing some practice😁 

The Kaizando (開山堂) founder's hall.

After that I went to the cemetery dedicated to the Arima family.

Autumn colors getting started around the garden🍂

The Chikugo River seen from the garden. Before the bridge was open in 1974, there was a ferry boat that connected the river from here to Nagatoishi-machi on the opposite bank.