Sacred Site of Haiku tucked away in Sagano

Rakushisha is one of the three major haikai dojo in Japan and as such it is an important historical site for Japanese literature. It traditionally enjoyed high popularity among visitors in the past and continues to do so even today.
Originally it was a hermitage run by Mukai Kyorai, a student of the famous poet Matsuo Basho. Matsuo Basho, who laid the foundation of haiku in the Edo period, loved the quiet atmosphere of the hermitage. He visited the hermitage three times and produced his masterpieces here.
The current Rakushisha was rebuilt in 1770, but the thatched hermitage surrounded by hedges, with persimmon trees, flowers, and haiku inscriptions scattered throughout the garden, is a faithful recreation of its past.
With few tourists, it is a quiet place where one can fully enjoy the atmosphere of Sagano.