ˌoʊvɚ tˈaɪm, ðə tˈɛmpəl fˈɛl ˌɪntʊ dˌɪsɹɪpˈɛɹ, ænd ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiːhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi nˈaɪn, ðə tʃˈiːf pɹˈiːst ʌvðə nˈɪɹbaɪ mˈætsənˌuː ʃɹˈaɪn, fˌuːdʒɪwˈɑːɹɹə tʃˈɪkɐhˌaɪd, sˈʌmənd ðə fˈeɪməs dʒˌæpənˈiːz ɡˈɑːɹdənɚ mjˈuːsoʊ sˈoʊski tə hˈɛlp hˌɪm ɹᵻvˈaɪv sˈeɪhoʊdʒˈaɪ æz ɐ zˈɛn tˈɛmpəl.
Over time, the temple fell into disrepair, and in 1339, the chief priest of the nearby Matsunoo Shrine, Fujiwara Chikahide, summoned the famous Japanese gardener Musō Soseki to help him revive Saihō-ji as a Zen temple.