【Kyoto】Nanzenji Best Zen temple in Kyoto (virtual guided tour)

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公開日: 2020年8月01日

Nanzen-ji is located at the base of the Higashiyama mountains in Kyoto.

It is one of the most renowned Zen Buddhist temples in Japan.

Nanzenji was originally built in 1291 by Emperor Kameyama as a detached palace for his retirement.

Later it was converted to a Zen temple.

It is now the headquarters of the Nanzen-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen sect.

The oldest of the current buildings was built after 16th century.

Nanzenji is ranked above the Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto.

Nanzenji has 12 sub-temples but not all of them are open to the public on a regular basis.

三門 (Sanmon)

The massive 三門 or a huge entrance gate to the temple is one of the largest such temple gates in Japan.

You can climb up the steep staircases inside the gate to see a great panoramic view.

You can overlook the central city of Kyoto and the Nanzenji complex spreading out on either side from the deck of the gate.

Nanzenji's 三門 gate is well known in Japan for featuring in the Kabuki story of "Sanmon-gosan-no-kiri".

水路閣 (Suirokaku)

If you walk to the right from Hatto or a lecture hall, You will come across a strange sight.

You see a large brick bridge or an aqueduct standing on the temple grounds.

It was built more than 100 years ago soon after the capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.

Kyoto had lost a lot of momentum and needed to get it back then and industrialize by ship transportation and constructing a water power generation.

The aqueduct is part of a canal system that carries water and goods between Kyoto and Lake Biwa in neighboring Shiga Prefecture.

This is the first hydroelectric power plant in Japan and later became a part of Kansai Electronic.

方丈 (Hoji)

The Dai Hojo of Nanzenji is a national treasure and worth while visiting.

The 大方丈 is a residence of the former head priest and Nanzenji's main hall.

The building was brought from Kyoto gosho or Kyoto Imperial Palace and dates back from the 1590s.

虎の子渡しの庭 or The Leaping Tiger Garden in the compound is a perfect example of the 枯山水 style garden or a dry landscape garden.

The rock arrangement of the garden represents a tiger and her cubs crossing through the river.

襖絵 or the paintings on sliding doors inside the 大方丈 are very valuable.

You can see such paintings of realistic depiction of tigers drinking water.

南禅寺周辺 (around Nanzenji)

Nanzenji is located only a short walk from the southern end of the 哲学の道 or Philosopher’s Path, so you can walk to 銀閣寺 or the Silver Pavilion which is very close to the northern end of the path.

The area around Nanzenji is home to 湯豆腐屋 or boiled tofu restaurants that have served Nanzenji tofu for a long time.

#nanzenji #zen temple #zen Buddhism #kyoto #kyoto tour