Kyoto Dream Trips

The strolling garden of Gansui-no-niwa in Raigo-in Temple!, a set on Flickr.

One of the sub-temples of Sennyu-ji temple, Raigo-in temple, was reportedly founded by Fujiwara Nobufusa when the court noble became a devout believer in Rev. Gatsuo, the 4th generation abbot of the Sennyu-ji temple, and donated a sub-temple to the high priest.
The wooden sitting image of Kojin (lit. “Fierce God”) and his five guards in the Kojin-do hall are all masterpieces of the Kamakura period (1192-1333) and are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan. ALso called Ena (placenta)-Kojin, this statue, with its full-color glass eyes and old Chinese-style aristocratic garments, is said to be the only wooden work of its kind in Japan.
Not far from the Kojin-do hall is the noted fountain Tokko-sui, which is believed to have been carved by Kukai, (a.k.a Kobo Daishi), the great priest of the early 9th century, with his Tokko a dagger-shaped ritual implement his image always holds in his right hand.
Oishi Yoshio (a.k.a. Kuranosuke), leader of the Chushingura, in his reclusion in preparation for the famous vendetta in 1702, began living in Yamashina in eastern Kyoto for some time. This temple was sympathetic enough to issue and official domiciliary register certificate for him. This is how and why a number of mementos of the 47 Ako loyalists are stored in this temple including the tea room Gansui-ken, and the small Shogun (lit. “Winning Troops”)-Jizo image, which their leader Oishi reportedly deeply cherished.
The strolling garden named Gansui-no-niwa is especially beautiful in the autumn when the leaves of the trees around the lake change their color.

Hiden-in Temple: Imperial Temple for Prayer!, a set on Flickr.

One of the sub-temples of Sennyuji Tmeple, “Hiden-in” was originally a welfare facility for the needy, elderly and orphaned children, and was built in the capital city like Nara before Kyoto became the capital in 794. During the Heian period (794-1192) two Hiden-in existed, one in the East, and the other in the western area of the capital city of Kyoto.
The relationship between Hiden-in as a buddhist temple and the two Hiden-in used as welfare facilities in the Heian period is not very clear. According to temple records, the Hiden-in temple was founded in 1308 in the northern central part of Kyoto City as a temple where the four Buddhist sects of Tendai, Shingon, Zen, and Jodo were to be studied without any boundaries. The temple, as a suited institute, inherited its name from the historical Hiden-in welfare facility.
Emperor Gohanazono, who reigned from 1428 to 1464, designated this temple as an Imperial temple for prayer. The Emperor allowed successive head priests of Hiden-in to enter the Imperial court wearing purple robes, a privilege reserved exclusively for people of the highest-ranking.
Continual civil wars did significant damage to the temple, which as restored in 1645 at the present site by the devout efforts of Naokiyo Nagai, Lord of the Takatsuki Castle int he south-west of Kyoto.
The main hall, built during Lord Nagai’s time, houses a standing image of Amida (Amitabha) as the temple’s main object of worship. The temple also has as a sitting image of Amida with a coronet, which was created by Kaikei, one of Japan’s greatest sculptors, who was active around the year 1200.

Kinkakuji: “The Golden pavilion” in Kyoto! Perhaps Kyoto’s most famous spot…

Kaikoji Temple Founded by Saint Donsho Ninritsu!, a set on Flickr.

Saint Donsho Ninritsu constructed Kaikoji Temple, which is one of the subtemples of Sennyuji Temple, on the West side of Kyoto Station in 1228 after he came back to Japan from China (called Song in those days). After that, the temple was relocated a number of times. It has been in the present place since 1645.
Shaka Nyorai (Sakyamuni) as the principal image and an important cultural property of Japan was made in the collaboration of Unkei and his child Tankei. This principal image of yosegi-zukuri (joined woodblock) construction is colorful and tinged in Song’s style. It is a unique woodcarving image of Great Buddha and a masterpiece of the Kamakura period (1192-1333). It is called Migawari Shaka (an image of Gautama Buddha that cures the diseases of people’s faces and heads and sacrifices itself for people’s misfortunes. The body of the statue is 5.4 meters tall, and the total height including the plinth and mandoria is approximately 10 meters. In the past, a large statue of Buddha was called Joroku in Japanese. That is why this statue is commonly called Joroku-san. It prospered also as the Imperial Household’s prayer place.
Kaikoji Temple has one of Kyoto’s eight greatest Buddha images. LIke the Buddha images in the Saga Shakado Hall of Saga Seiryoji Temple and the Sembon Shakado Hall in the Daihoonji Temple, this statue is an object of deep faith. Moreover, it is said that the priest Saicho made the image of Benzaiten (the goddess of eloquence, music, and wisdom) here, which is known as one of the images of Seven Divinities of Good Luck (called Shichifukujin in Japanese) in Senzan. People believe that Benzaiten makes their all wishes come true.

Sokujoin Temple Founded in 992!, a set on Flickr.

The origin of this temple is believed to date back to 992 when the noted priest Eshin of Enryakuji Temple (Mt. Hiei) built Komyoin temple in Fushimi in the south of Kyoto. During the second half of the 11th century, Toshitsuna Tachibana, son of Yorimichi Fujiwara, the highest ranked aristocrat in the imperial court of that time, moved the original temple into his villa, and later changed the villa itself into a temple
In 1594, the ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi, not he occasion of building of his Fushimi castle, forced the relocation of this temple to the other place. During the Meiji era (1868-1912) the temple was again moved and restored to the present site as Sokujo-in, within the precincts of Sennyuji Temple.
In the main hall a statue of Amida Buddha as well as 25 statues of Bosatsu (Buddha on the path to enlightenment) are arrayed. These works were almost created in the late 11th century and are all designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
Yoichi Nasu, a hero in one of the most famous episodes of the battles between the Heike and Genji clans during the late 12th century, came here as a young man and prayed to Amida Buddha for recovery when he fell ill. After praying here, he had great success in battle as a master archer, and is said to have spent the later years of his life in this temple, where a stone tower exists to mark his grave.

Yamanobe-no-Michi:Japan’s Oldest Road!, a set on Flickr.

Yamanobe no Michi is a hiking trail which runs north to south on the eastern foot of mountains in the Nara basin. The path was originally part of the Shinkaido, or “new road”, a 1,679 km long route originating in Edo, or present day Tokyo, and is recognised as Japan’s oldest road. Some of the shrines that you may encounter when walking along the Yamanobe no Michi include Omiwa Shrine, as well as lesser known shrines such as Yatogi Shrine, Izanagi Shrine, Hakusan Shrine and Anasenimasu Shrine.

A shrine along the Yamanobe-no-Michi trail.

Hibara jinjya. This torii gate is made only with two posts and a rope called: Shimenawa.

A straw rope hung before or around a site to demarcate sacred or pure space, such as before the inner sanctuary of a shrine, entrance to a shrine precinct, or a ritual site. Numerous orthographic character combinations are used with the reading shimenawa, including 一五三　(“1-5-3”) and 七五三 (“7-5-3”), based on the number of straw threads thought to be used in braiding the rope. Other orthographies for the term include 締縄　and 標縄 combinations which transmit the sense of a rope that “restricts” or “marks” something. shimenawa are usually made with a “left-hand” twist; individual loose stalks of straw may be allowed to hang from the rope in places, and ritual paper streamers called shide may also be draped from the rope. When shimenawa are hung before a shrine’s sanctuary, the rope is normally hung with the thick end to the right. In ancient times shime were used as signs of ownership or exclusive possession, and frequently written with the character 標 indicating a “marker.” In addition to hanging ropes, ownership might also be expressed by a variety of other means, including the tying of an object to the thing possessed, or fixing a tree branch in the ground. The term shimenawa was coined based on the fact that rope (nawa) was the most commonly used method of marking.