Category: Temple
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Hokoji Temple (方広寺)
The Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi once stood where Hokoji Temple stands today. It is believed to have been built to replace the Great Buddha Hall in Nara, which was destroyed in a war. At that time, the temple was not called Hokoji Temple, but rather a private facility of the Toyotomi…
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Anyoji Temple (安養寺)
Only a few tourists visit Anyoji Temple, located on the eastern slope of Yasaka Jinja Shrine and Maruyama Park. Even most of Japanese tourists do not know about this temple. Although there is not much to see here, the temple has a long history. It was built by Saicho during the Enryaku era (782 –…
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Yoshimizu-benzaitennyo-do Temple (吉水辨財天女堂)
Yoshimizu-Benzaitennyo-do (Yoshimizu Benzaitennyo Hall) is located on the east side of Maruyama Park. This area used to be the precincts of Anyoji Temple. But when the temple moved in Meiji era, only this hall remained here. The name “Yoshimizu” comes from the fact that a sacred spring of “good water” has been springing in this…
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Chorakuji Temple (長楽寺)
Chorakuji Temple is located east of Yasaka Jinja Shrine, up the hill from Maruyama Park. It has a long history. In 805 Dengyo Daishi (a great Buddhist priest) created the temple at the order of Emperor Kanmu. It was originally a branch temple of Hieizan Enryakuji Temple of the Tendai sect. Later, in the early…
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Chionji Temple (知恩寺)
Chionji Temple, also known as Hyakumanben Chionji, is a temple of the Jodo sect. Although the name is similar to the famous Chion-in Temple, it is a different temple of the same sect. Honen, the founder of the Jodo sect, lived in 1175 at Jinguji Temple in Kamo, the predecessor of Chionji temple. In 1212,…
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Koshoji Temple (迎稱寺)
Koshoji Temple is a temple of the Jishu sect of Buddhism and is close to Shinnyodo and other temples. Icchin Shonin (1278-1355), the sixth generation of the Yugyo Shonin (leading priests of the Jishu sect), founded this temple. However, there are other stories regarding the origin of this temple. The wooden structure of Icchin Shonin…
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Shougoin Monzeki (聖護院門跡)
The history of Shougoin dates back to 1090. When High Priest Zoyo, who served as a forerunner to Emperor Shirakawa’s visit to Kumano, received the temple. Emperor named it “Shogoin” after his achievement of “protecting the Eucharist”. The temple was later moved from place to place in Kyoto due to warfare and fire, but was…
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88 sacred temples Pilgrimage in Omuro (御室八十八ヶ所霊場)
Behind the Ninnaji Temple, there is a mountain path called Omurojojusan, which is dotted with 88 small Buddhist temples. Ninnaji Temple manages this route. In the Edo period (1603-1868), it was difficult to visit the 88 sacred sites on Shikoku. So in 1827, the 29th Monk of Ninnaji Temple made a request to bring back…
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Hoshun-in Temple (芳春院), Daitokuji
Hoshun-in temple is a sub-temple of the Daitokuji Temple. Hoshun-in temple is located at the northernmost point of the Daitokuji temple compound. You find it further back, past the entrance to Daisen-in Temple. Hoshunin is the Buddhist name of Matsu, a regular wife of Maeda Toshiie. He was a feudal lord in the Warring States…
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Obai-in temple (黄梅院), Daitokuji
Obai-in temple’s gardens are must see if you have chance. This temple is a real hidden gem in Kyoto. Oda Nobunaga built Obai-an in 1562 as a memorial service for his father, Oda Nobuhide. And it is one of the sub-temples of Daitokuji Temple. After Nobunaga’s sudden death due to the Honnoji Incident, Hideyoshi Hashiba…
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Daisen-in (大仙院), Daitokuji
Daisen-in is the most important sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple. In 1509 Rokkaku Masayori founded Daisen-in. The main hall is the original building. It is one of the oldest remaining Zen sect hojo buildings and is a national treasure. Shoin is an important cultural property. The garden is said to be a rock garden representing Karesansui…
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Soken-in (総見院), Daitokuji
Soken-in Temple is a sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Soken-in Temple in 1583 as a memorial to Oda Nobunaga, who fell in the Honnoji Incident. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the man who united Japan after the death of Oda Nobunaga, following his legacy. In the main hall is a wooden seated statue of Lord…
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Ryogen-in (龍源院), Daitokuji
Ryogen-in is a sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple. This temple was founded in 1502 by Yoshimoto Hatakeyama, Yoshinaga Otomo, and Yoshioki Ouchi. It is the oldest sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple. This temple is usually open to the public. The original buildings, the Hojo, Karamon, and Omotemon, are important cultural properties. Kyoto City Official Travel Guide Ryogen-in…
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Korin-in (興臨院), Daitokuji
Korin-in is the sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple. It is not open to the public except on special viewing days. Hatakeyama family of Noto built in 1520s. Since then, it has become the family temple of the Noto Hatakeyama clan. The main hall was later destroyed by fire and has been rebuilt. After the fall of…
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Zuiho-in (瑞峯院), Daitokuji
Zuiho-in is a sub-temple of Daitokuji Temple. This temple is usually open to the public. In 1535, Otomo Sorin, known as a Christian daimyo, built Zuiho-in as the family temple of the Otomo family. The guest hall, front gate, and Karamon gate that remain from the time of its construction are important cultural properties. The…
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Daitokuji Temple (大徳寺)
The best time to visit Daitokuji is in the fall. Many sub-temples are open to the public in this season. Daitokuji Temple is the head temple of the Daitokuji School of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. It was founded in 1315 at the end of the Kamakura period. Onin War devastated the Temple. But…
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Hosenin Temple (宝泉院) in Ohara
Hosenin temple is a temple of the Tendai sect in Ohara. Together with the Jikkoin Temple, it is a sub-temple of the Shorinin Temple. As visitors enter through the temple gate, they see before them a temple’s symbol, a 700-year-old goyomatsu (five-leaf pine tree). Because it is a large and precious goyomatsu tree, “Hosenin no…
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Shorinin Temple (勝林院) in Ohara
Jakugen founded the Shorinin Temple in 1013 as a place to practice Nembutsu (Buddhist chanting) through Shomyo (Buddhist chanting). After the construction of nearby Raigoin Temple about 90 years later, many monks’ quarters surounded the two temples. These temples became a center for many monks to study and practice shomyo (Buddhist chanting). Thus, the temple…
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Raigoin Temple (来迎院) in Ohara
Jikaku Daishi Ennin founded the Raigoin Temple in the early Heian period as a center for Tendai Shomyo (Tendai Buddhist chanting). In 1109, Ryonin rebuilt the temple. The reconstruction of the temple resulted in the establishment of the Lower Hall, with Shorinin as the main building, and the Upper Hall, with Raigoin as the main…
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Jikkoin Temple (実光院) in Ohara
Jikkoin Temple in Ohara is a monastery of nearby Shorinin Temple, which used to be the main hall of a sub-temple of Gyozan Taigenji. In addition to this temple and Hosenin Temple, there used to be many other monastery buildings such as Fugenin and Rikakuin. The Temple’s official WEB site tells the history of the…
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Jakkoin Temple (寂光院) in Ohara
Jakkoin Temple in Ohara is a nunnery of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. This is the temple where Kenreimonin, daughter of Taira no Kiyomori, spent the rest of her life. History of Jakkoin Temple In 594 Prince Shotoku built the temple to mourn the loss of his father, Emperor Yomei. The first abbot was Tamateru…
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Sanzenin Temple (三千院) in Ohara
Sanzenin Temple was originally built by Saicho during the Enryaku era (782-806) in the Toto Minamidani (東塔南谷) on Mt. Hiei. Since the late Heian period, the temple has been a monzeki, with the prince and imperial family serving as abbots. The location of the temple has moved several times over time, from within Hieizan to…
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Pagoda Yasaka, Hokanji (法観寺)
When looking at the city of Kyoto from the stage of Kiyomizudera Temple, the five-story pagoda of Hokanji Temple can be seen just in front of it. This pagoda is known as Pagoda Yasaka. This pagoda is also a well-known landmark in Higashiyama District when heading to Shimizudera Temple. The Hokanji Temple is a temple…
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Takiguchidera Temple (滝口寺)
Takiguchidera Temple is a very small temple next to Gioji Temple in Saga area. This temple began as an Oujo-in temple in the Heian period. The temple was abandoned during the Meiji period due to the abolition of Buddhism. It was rebuilt together with Gioji Temple in the Showa period. This temple is famous for…
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Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂)
Sanjusangendo is a temple of the Tendai sect located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. Its official name is Rengeoin Hondo (蓮華王院本堂). It is not an independent temple, but the nearby Myohoin Temple administer it. Taira no Kiyomori built this long hall in 1164. It was later destroyed by fire, but was restored in 1266. The name Sanjusangendo…
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Myohoin Temple (妙法院)
Myohoin Temple is a monzeki temple dating from the early Heian period. This temple has Sanjusangendo as its sub-temple, and together with Shorenin Temple and Sanzenin Temple, is known as one of the “Three Monzeki Temples of the Tendai Sect” and is a temple of great prestige. The interior of the Myohoin building is usually…
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Shorenin Monzeki (青蓮院門跡)
Shorenin Monzeki is one of the three monzeki of Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei (other two is Sanzen-in and Myoho-in). It is now one of the five Kyoto Monzeki of the Tendai sect. It originated from Shorenbo, a monk’s abode on Mt. Hiei, which at that time was the residence of Saicho, Ennin, and other…
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Byodoin Temple (平等院)
Byodoin Temple in Uji represents the beauty of Heian Period. It is a Buddhist temple located in Uji City, south of Kyoto City. It is one of the best preserved national treasures in Japan and a World Heritage Site. (Official WEB site) Byodoin was built in the south of Heian-kyo during the mid-Heian period. The…
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Konpukuji Temple (金福寺)
If you are interested in Haiku or Matsuo Basho, Konpukuji Temple has a trace of Basho and other important Haiku poets. Konpukuji Temple is a temple of the Nanzenji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. It is a sacred place for haiku pilgrims. Konpukuji Temple was built in 864, and was rebuilt by monk Tesshu in…
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Tanukidani-san Fudō-in Temple (狸谷山不動院)
Tanukidani-san Fudoin is the head temple of Shugendo, the Shingon sect of Buddhism, located in Ichijoji, Sakyo-ku. The main hall of the temple, built in the Kengai-zukuri style (stage style), is located up the hill from Shisen-do Hall and 250 more steps. Templs’s official WEB site The origin of the Temple dates back to the…
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Shisendo Jozanji (詩仙堂丈山寺)
Shisendo is a branch temple of Eiheiji Temple of the Soto sect of Buddhism, where Ishikawa Jozan lived until his death in 1672 at the age of 90. Ishikawa participated in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. And quit the warrior’s life after the Summer Battle of Osaka in 1614. Afterwards, Ishikawa wrote poems on…
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Rokudo Chinnoji (六道珍皇寺)
Rokudo Chinnoji Temple is one of the sub-temples of Kenninji Temple. The main deity is Yakushi Nyorai, but the temple is known for its statues of Ono-no Takamura and King Enma. We cannot take photos of these statues unfortunately. Do you like to see the entrance to under world? Rokudo Chinnoji Temple is the place.…
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Houkongoin Temple (法金剛院)
Only local people know the flower temple Houkongoin. It is a temple of the Ritsu sect of Buddhism. The Ritsu sect is represented by Toshodaiji temple in Nara, but there are only a few temples. (Temple’s official WEB site) Hokkongoin is located right in front of JR Hanazono Station, making it a very accessible temple.…
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Reigen-in Temple (霊源院)
Reigen-in is one of the sub-temples located in the southeast of the Kenninji temple grounds. It was founded in the Ouei era (1394-1428) by Ryuzan Tokumi, a monk who was invited to found the temple, and his disciple Ichian Ichirin. Reigen-in Temple was the academic core of Kenninji Temple and produced many of the leading…
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Shoden Eigen-in Temple (正伝永源院)
Shoden Eigen-in is a sub-temple of Kenninji Temple, the head temple of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism. In the Kamakura period, when the temple was founded, there were two temples, Shoden-in and Eigen-an. However, during the confusion caused by the abolition of Buddhism in the Meiji period (1868-1912), Eigen-an was unfortunately uninhabited and was immediately…
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Ryosoku-in Temple (両足院)
Ryosoku-in is a temple of the Kenninji School of Rinzai Zen Buddhism and a sub-temple of Kenninji Temple. The principal image of the temple is the Amida Nyorai. It was built in the Kamakura period as Chisokuin Temple, founded by Zen priest Ryuzan Tokken. After a fire during the Tenmon period (1532 – 1555), the…
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Kenninji Temple (建仁寺)
In 1202, Minamoto no Yorike, a shogun of the Kamakura period, donated the temple area and founded the Kenninji Temple. Eisai designed the temple, modeling it after Hyakjōzan in the Song Dynasty. In 1259, a Zen monk from the Song Dynasty, Rankei Doryu, founder of Kenchoji Temple, entered the temple, and it became a purely…
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Torin-in Temple (Myoshinji) 東林院
You can enjoy Shojin Ryori (zen vegetarian meals) in Torin-in Temple. Torin-in Temple is one of the sub-temples of Myoshinji Temple and is located on the east side of the temple grounds. The temple is usually closed to the public, but you can visit there during some seasonal festivals and on lunch events. The main…
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Toji-in Temple (等持院)
History Toji-in Temple is a temple of the Tenryuji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Although the temple has a long history and is close to Kinkakuji Temple and Ryoanji Temple, it is quiet tourists rarely visit here. Ashikaga Takauji, the first shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, invited the monk Muso Kokushi and…
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Chion-in Temple (知恩院)
Chion-in Temple is the head temple of the Jodo sect. Chion-in Temple is where Honen, the founder of the Jodo sect, established a hermitage in 1175 and began to propagate Nembutsu (the recitation of the Nembutsu prayer). In the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu built the present main hall, Sanmon gate, and other…
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Kodaiji Temple (高台寺)
Kodaiji Temple is located between the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Yasaka-Jinja Shrine, up the mountain side from a narrow path commonly called Nene-no-michi. Temple’s official WEB site History of Kodaiji Temple Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s wife, Nene (Kita-no-Mandokoro) founded the Kodaiji Temple in 1606 as a place of mourning for Hideyoshi. There are many important cultural assets…
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Entoku-in Temple (圓徳院)
Entoku-in Temple is a temple of the Kenninji School of Rinzai Zen Buddhism located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. It is a sub-temple of Kodaiji Temple. It is known as the place where Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s wife, Nene, made her own residence in her later years and is also said to be the place of her demise, according…
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Kiyomizu-dera Temple (清水寺)
Kiyomizu Temple, one of the World Heritage Sites and famous for the stage of Kiyomizu. The precincts of Kiyomizu-Dera Temple are located on the eastern side of Kyoto, halfway up Mount Otowa. Kiyomizu-Dera Temple has more than 30 pagodas and buildings, including national treasures and important cultural properties. Since its foundation, fire destroyed the temple…
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Rokuharamitsuji Temple (六波羅蜜寺)
History of Rokuharamitsuji Temple Kuya Shonin, a son of the then Emperor Daigo, founded .Rokuharamitsuji Temple in 951. Kuya Shonin felt life in all things, praised Namu Amidabutsu, and chanted the Nembutsu with joy and dancing, rejoicing in the fact that today exists. Rokuharamitsuji Temple used to have a vast temple complex. And the mansions…
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Manshu-in Temple (曼殊院)
Manshu-in is a monzeki temple located in Ichijodani. From Enkoji Temple, you will pass through a residential area and walk along a path called Manshuin-do (Manshuin Road), which leads to a wooded area. After passing through there, you will see Manshuin Temple. Manshu-in was originally opened by Saicho as a dojo on Mt. Hiei. It…
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Bishamondo Monzeki (毘沙門堂門跡)
History of Bishamondo in Yamashina Bishamondo monzeki, in Yamashina, is a temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. It dates back to 703 when the Emperor Monmu requested the construction. When it was initially established, it lay north of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It bore the name “Izumo-ji Temple.” After war and burning down, the…
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Kami-Daigo (上醍醐), Upper complex of Daigoji Temple
Daigoji Temple is divided into two parts: the upper part of the temple and the flat area. The flat area is well-known Daigoji Temple. And the upper part is called Kami-Daigo, where the older complex of Daigoji Temple exists. This is the birthplace of Daigoji Temple since 874. Daigo water, which has been gushing since…
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Ginkakuji Temple (銀閣寺)
The official name of Ginkakuji Temple is Higashiyama Jishoji Temple, one of the sub-temples of Shokokuji Temple. Ginkakuji is based on Higashiyama-den, a villa built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the 8th Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate. It became a temple after Yoshimasa’s death. Shokokuji Temple Official WEB site (English page) The common name “Ginkaku” (silver pavilion)…
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Honen-in Temple (法然院)
Leaving the Philosopher’s Path before reaching Ginkakuji Temple, visitors will find Honen-in Temple on the east side of the mountain. This temple was founded in 1680, in the early Edo period. The origin of the temple is as follows. Emperor Go-Toba was the one who later caused the Jokyu Rebellion and was exiled to Oki.…
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Shinnyo-do (真如堂)
When you pass through the north gate of Konkai Komyoji Temple, Shinnyo-do Hall is immediately ahead of you. Its official name is Shinsho-Gokurakuji Temple. It is a temple of the Tendai sect, with Hieizan Enryakuji as its head temple. And it was founded in 984. Its common name, Shinnyo-do, refers to the main hall. The…
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Eishoin Temple (栄摂院)
The narrow path from Konkai-komyoji Temple to Shinnyo-do Hall is a path where people in the know can enjoy a foliage walk in the fall. You find Eishoin along this path. This temple is on the north side of Konkai Komyoji Temple, and one of the sub-temples of Konkai Komyoji Temple. It has an eye-catching…
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Konkai Komyoji Temple (金戒光明寺)
Konkai Komyoji Temple is one of the seven head temples of the Jodo sect of Buddhism, and is said to have been built by Honen in 1175. At the end of the Edo period, this temple became the headquarters of the Aizu han (feudal domain), which was appointed as the guardian of Kyoto, and the…
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Eikando (永観堂)
Just a short distance from Nanzenji, you find the Eikando Hall. The temple was originally the Higashiyama Villa of Fujiwara Sekio during the Heian period (794-1185). Shinsho (a disciple of Kukai) purchased it in 853. And he enshrined the Gochi-nyorai (five wisdom buddhas) there. Temple’s official WEB site The main hall is dedicated to the…
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Nanzenji Temple (南禅寺)
Nanzenji Temple was founded in 1291 by Hōhō Kameyama with Daimyō Kokushi as its master, and is regarded as one of the most prestigious temples in the Zen sect. Upon entering the temple grounds, one is first surprised by the size of the Sanmon Gate, an important cultural property. This is the place where Ishikawa…
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Enkoji Temple (圓光寺)
Enkoji Temple was originally opened by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601 as Enko-ji School in Fushimi, and was moved to its current location in Ichijodani in 1667. Cultural assets in the temple include a six-panel screen depicting bamboo groves by Maruyama Okyo (Important Cultural Property) and 50,000 wooden typefaces produced in the early modern period (Important…
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Horinji Temple (法輪寺)
A little south of the Togetsukyo Bridge is Horinji Temple. The Kuzunoi-gu Shrine, also associated with the Hata clan, seems to have existed in the Kofun period. And the temple is an ancient temple said to have been founded by Gyoki in 713. Kukai and Nichiren also trained at this temple. In the Heian period,…
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Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple (あだし野念仏寺)
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple may be a very scarely temple. The Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple cemetery is a collection of about 8,000 unmarked small Buddha statues (graves) found in this area. They which line the path leading to the main hall. The area of Torii-moto, where the old streets still remain, was once called Adashino, one of…
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Nison-in Temple (二尊院)
Nison-in Temple is located north of Jojakkoji Temple. Passing through the main gate is a wide path called “Momiji no Baba”. Straight ahead is a wall. The history of Nison-in Temple dates back to the third Tendai Zashu (Ennin). He built the temple in the Jowa period (834-848) at the request of Emperor Saga. Temple’s…
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Jojakkoji Temple (常寂光寺)
Jojakkoji Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the scenic Saga district. It is on a forested Ogurayama mountainside, offering stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The temple is famous for its beautiful autumn foliage, making it a popular destination for tourists during the fall season. Jojakkoji Temple was founded in the 16th century by…
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Tenryuji Temple (天龍寺), Arashiyama
Tenryuji Temple in Arashiyama is one of the World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. It is the head temple of the Tenryuji School of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, founded by Ashikaga Takauji and Soseki Muso. The temple was built to mourn the loss of Emperor Godaigo, who was an enemy of Ashikaga Takauji, so to speak. Before…
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Daigoji Temple (醍醐寺)
Daigoji Temple is a World Heritage-designated temple and it is in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. The temple is located a bit far from the central area of Kyoto, so despite its incredible temple, visitors are limited. It is the head temple of the Daigo school of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. The temple is famous for “Daigo…
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Sanboin Temple (三宝院), Daigoji Temple
It’s history Sanboin, the sub-temple, is entered from the side of the Daigoji Temple reception desk. Sanboin was built in 1115 and served as the main temple where the head priest of Daigoji resided. The present facility was developed after Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s cherry blossom viewing in Daigo in 1598. The garden was basically designed by…
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Anrakuji Temple (安楽寺)
Anrakuji Temple is a temple of the Jodo sect of Buddhism. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333) Two of Honen’s disciples, Juren and Anraku, built a hermitage as a place to practice Nembutsu (the recitation of the Lotus Sutra). Honen-in Temple near Ginkakuji Temple is said to have been built on the site of this hermitage.…
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Chishakuin Temple (智積院)
Chishakuin Temple in Kyoto is the head temple of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism. Originally located in Wakayama Prefecture as one of the sub-temples of the Daidenpoin Temple, it was rebuilt in Kyoto in 1598 after a war. Chishakuin Garden Chishakuin Temple has a famous pond garden facing the Daishoin (main drawing room). This…
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Shokokuji Temple (相国寺)
From the Imadegawa Gomon gate on the north side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, walk north past the Doshisha University campus and you will soon come to Shokokuji Temple. Shokokuji Temple is the head temple of the Shokokuji School of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism. Temple’s official WEB site The temple was founded by…
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Shinsen-en (神泉苑)
Shinsen-en was a garden pond built adjacent to the Daidairi (Imperial Palace) soon after the construction of the Heian-kyo Capital, but it was reduced in size during the Edo period (1603-1868) with the construction of Nijo Castle. It is now a temple managed by Toji Temple. The following is an excerpt from the Shinsen-en website.…
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Hotoji Temple (宝塔寺)
Hotoji Temple is located south of Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine and Sekihoji Temple. Few tourists visit here. According to temple legend, Fujiwara no Mototsune, the Kanpaku (highest ranking officer) of the time, founded the temple in the early Heian period (late 9th century). At that time, it was Gokurakuji temple of the Shingon sect of…
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Toji Temple (東寺)
When the capital moved from Nara to Heian-kyo, the only temples built by Emperor Kanmu were Toji and Saiji. They were built symmetrically across the Rashomon Gate. Later, Saiji and Rashomon were burnt down. And only Toji remained. The division of Toji Temple the only one that retains the division of the temple when Heian-kyo…
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Kanchi-in Temple (Toji) 観智院
Kanchiin is one of the sub-temples of Toji Temple. It is just inside the Kita-Soumon gate (an important cultural property) of To-ji Temple. The path from the Kitasomun is called Kushige-koji, which is said to be the very width of the road in ancient Heian-kyo. Kanchiin was a Shingon school. The entrance is just a…
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Keishun-in (Myoshinji) 桂春院
Keishun-in Temple is a sub-temple of Myoshinji Temple. Keishun-in Temple was founded in 1598 by Hidenori Tsuda, the second son of Nobutada Oda, the eldest son of Nobunaga Oda, as Gisei-in Temple. The sliding door paintings in the hojo are by Kano Sansetsu. The tea ceremony room, Kihakuan, used to be in the Nagahama Castle…
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Taizo-in (Myoshinji) 退蔵院
One of the sub-temples near the Myoshinji Butsuden is Taizo-in Temple. This temple is home to the National Treasure “Hyonenzu,” the historic site and place of scenic beauty “Motonobu’s Garden,” a dry landscape garden, and the pond garden “Yokoen,” a garden with a circular garden. Unfortunately, Hyonenzu is not open to the public and you…
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Seiryoji Temple (清凉寺)
Seiryoji Temple, commonly known as Saga Shakado, has Shakyamuni as its principal deity. The standing statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the main hall is a national treasure and came from India. This statue is usually kept secret and is only open to the public during special visits. Seikaji Temple, the predecessor of Seiryoji Temple, is…
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Gioji Temple (祇王寺)
According to the Tale of the Heike and the Genpei Seisuki, Gioji Temple is where Shirabyoshi (dancer) Gio became a nun at the then Saga Oujoin Temple along with his mother Toji and sister Kojo. Taira no Kiyomori once favored her but later treated her coldly. That’s why Gio decided to become a nun. The…
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Yogen-in (養源院)
Yogen-in Temple is located near Sanjusangendo and Hojuji Temple. Yogen-in Temple has a blood ceiling and cedar door and sliding door paintings by Sotatsu Tawaraya that are a must-see. Unfortunately, you cannot take photos inside the temple. The following is a summarized quote from the history of the temple. Temple’s official WEB site Yododono, the…
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Hojuji Temple (法住寺)
Hojuji Temple is one of the temples located near Sanjusangendo. This temple was founded in 989 by Fujiwara no Tamemitsu. Later, Emperor Goshirakawa abdicated in 1158 and moved to Hojuji Temple in 1161, designating it as his residence. Temple’s official WEB site Despite its historical importance, this temple does not currently possess much in the…
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Sokushu-in Temple (即宗院)
Sokusho-in was built in 1387 as a memorial to Ujihisa Shimazu of the Satsuma clan. It was burnt down in 1569, but was rebuilt by Iehisa Shimazu in 1613. Since then, the temple has a close relationship with the Satsuma clan. The present temple gate was built when the temple was rebuilt. Sokushu-in, a sub-temple…
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Shorinji Temple Bishamon-do (毘沙門堂 勝林寺)
Bishamon-do Shorinji Temple is also one of the sub-temples of Tofukuji Temple. Bishamonten, the guardian of Tofukuji Temple, is enshrined here. The Bishamonten statue is open to the public only during special openings in spring and fall, and by group application. Zazen experience You can experience zazen in this temple. Zazen is a form of…
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Tofukuji Temple (東福寺)
Tofukuji Temple is the head temple of the Tofukuji School of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism, and was completed in 1255. The Sanmon Gate is a National Treasure, and there are many other important cultural properties including the Zendo Hall. Tofukuji official WEB site The Sanmon Gate is the oldest and largest of the…
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Komyo-in Temple (光明院)
North of Nanmei-in is Komyo-in, also a sub-temple of Tofukuji Temple. Komyo-in was founded in 1391, at the beginning of the Muromachi Period. Temple’s official WEB site Komyo-in Gardens Visitors can see the “Hashin-tei” garden by Mirei Shigemori, a famous Showa-era gardener. He created this garden together with the Hojo gardens of Tofukuji Temple in…
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Nanmei-in (南明院)
Nanmei-in Temple is one of the sub-temples of Tofukuji Temple and is located at the southernmost point of the Tofukuji site. In the temple’s precinct, there is the grave of Princess Asahi or Asahi Hime. She was a sister of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and regular wife of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Of course, it must have been a…
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Sekihoji Temple (石峰寺) Temple associated with Ito Jakuchu
Sekihoji Temple is a temple of the Őbaku school of Zen Buddhism. The temple has distinctive Chinese-style gates, which is a characteristic of Obaku School. It is the place where Ito Jakuchu built a hamplet and spent the last years of his life. You can find his cemetery in the temple ground (there is his…
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Daikakuji Temple (大覚寺)
Daikakuji Temple is the head temple of the Daikakuji School of Shingon Buddhism. The predecessor of Daikakuji Temple was Rikyu Saga-in, a detached palace built by Emperor Saga in the early Heian period, which became Daikakuji Temple in 876. Even today, the temple is not a row of large buildings, but rather a series of…
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Koryuji Temple (広隆寺)
Koryuji Temple is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Uzumasa. The main deity is Prince Shotoku. It was the clan temple of the Hata clan, a migrant tribe, and is the oldest temple in Kyoto that existed before the creation of capital Heian-kyo. The temple hosts a well-known treasure, a statue of Maitreya Bosatsu (Maitreya Bodhisattva)…
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Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺)
Katsumoto Hosokawa, general of the Eastern Army in the Onin War, founded Ryoanji Temple in 1450. Ryoanji official WEB site The highlight of Ryoanji Temple is its karesansui (dry landscape) rock garden. The rock garden was built around 1499. The garden consists of 15 carefully arranged rocks of various sizes, surrounded by white gravel. You…
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Kinkakuji Golden Pagoda (金閣寺)
History Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion or Pagoda, is one of the most iconic and visited landmarks in Kyoto, famous for its stunning golden exterior and picturesque surroundings. (Kinkakuji Official WEB site) Originally built in the late 14th century as a retirement villa for the 3rd shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Kinkakuji later transformed…
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Myoshinji Temple (妙心寺)
Myoshinji Temple is a renowned Zen Buddhist temple located in the northwest part of Kyoto. It is the largest temple complex in the city of Kyoto and serves as the headquarters of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Founded in 1337 during the Kamakura period, Myoshinji Temple has a long and…
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Ninnaji Temple (仁和寺)
Ninnaji Temple is a Buddhist temple in the western part of Kyoto. It is one of the many historically significant temples in the city and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple belongs to the Shingon sect of Buddhism and serves as the head temple of the Omuro School within the sect.…