Daisho-in

Daisho-in is the primary Buddhist temple on the island of Miyajima in Hiroshima and also serves as the starting point for the holy pilgrimage from the shores of the island to its mountainous summit. Though it doesn’t always feel like it, this temple has received imperial patronage over the years and was even said to have been founded by Kukai, the founder of Koya-san.  The temple is mainly located on the hillside looking down on the tidal flats, but there are several buildings in a variety of locations ranging from the Kannon-dô behind Itsukushima Jinja, to several halls along the climb to the mountain summit.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 7.

I think my only criticism is about something that it can’t really control: it’s just not as stunning as Itsukushima Jinja. It’s a crazy criticism I know, but after the jovial brightness of vermillian paint, the smell and sight of the crystal blue tidal flats, and the looming statement that is the water torii, going to this temple of dark browns and hints of gold, it just doesn’t have the same presence. In any other place, I think I would be ranking this temple higher, but again, the competition is just on another level all together. That being said, I think that Daisho-in is one of the nicer temples around. There are a series of halls and noted locations within the temple grounds wich bring their own unique taste to the complex. From sutra prayer wheels lining the main stairs to the complex to a cave of sandstone carvings and lanters. Each turn a visitor takes will change the style, the world, and the art available for viewing. The stream of water coming down from the mountain brings in that lovely sound of bubbling water while several waterfalls just upstream add that roaring rush of noise. All of this water and moisture nourishes the rich blanket of moss which covers most of the temple off the stone paths.

I think one of the best perks of this temple is the lack of large crowds. Sure there will be more than a few people visiting the temple and one time, and the narrow layout of the grounds will make even a small group of people feel like a crowd, it really isn’t all that crowded. After visiting Itsukushima Jinja, a place which will almost always have crowds, it’s a welcome escape from it all to make the quick walk through the small town to Daisho-in where you can get a really fantastic view of the sea.

As mentioned before, the climb to the top of the island starts on a gravel trail next to the temple entrance, but I would like to share a warning that the trail is steep and takes about an hour to climb. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, feel free to follow the signs to the ropeway which will take visitors up to a secondary peak for a small price. From this secondary peak there is a trail which will join with the main trail from the temple to reach the summit.

 

Shôsha-zan (Engyôji)

A little north of Himeji-jô in the city of Himeji, atop a mountain looking over the plain, sits one of the more photogenic temples in the Kansai area, one which some may recognize it without realizing.  Engyôji, as it’s formally known, is a premier temple complex used in movies across Japanese cinema and even in American films like “The Last Samurai.” With open courtyards and buildings which conform to the mountainside, it’s easy to see why the temple is a popular location to visit.

Though the exact age of the temple is unknown, in 2018 Shôsha-zan celebrated 1,300 years since it was established by a traveling monk as the temple it is today, but buildings were on the grounds long before that.

For the casual: 9. For the educated: 9.

Though I would say that this complex doesn’t have the je ne sais quoit things which would give it a 10 in my mind, I wholeheartedly believe that this is one of the best temples to visit in the Kansai area. I think the only thing that keeps the massive crowds at bay is its location outside of the major cities. Yes, Himeji is a major city, but it really isn’t when compared to the actual major cities nearby: Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto. Especially because this temple is not in Kyoto I believe that the temple is largely left a secret from unknowing eyes. At least in my mind, people that come to Himeji are primarily interested in going to the castle and spending their time there, while time in and around temples is reserved for Kyoto and its massive collection of holy sites. As a result, I think that the majority of foreign visitors to the temple are either those living in Japan, or those planning on spending more than one day in Himeji and elect to do the castle one day and the temple the next. But this is all my opinion and I have no facts to support this idea.

Here’s the bottom line: this temple is beautiful and I think everyone should visit at least once. The ride up the mountain-side in the ropeway has some teaser views of the northern Himeji area, and the climb up to the temple itself has some lookouts where you can see even farther. Also, let me quickly clarify, I just said that there is a climb up to the temple, and while that is true, it’s nothing outside of the ordinary. It’s short but steep and lined with cool statues of Bodhisattvas, most of which are different incarnations of Kannon, and each one allows for a brief rest before climbing another 20 meters to the next one for a break. I believe I’ve mentioned in past posts that mountains in Japan are never gentle, but they are usually very short and don’t take too long to get to the top. This trail I would estimate takes about 10-15 min but may take longer depending on how many statues you want to look at.

Like most complexes in Japan, Engyôji has some buildings that are off limits to most visitors, and the first few buildings that you come across fall into that category. It isn’t until at least a while later that the temple opens up to one of the main halls standing tall above the pathways. This hall, the Maniden, is the central hall of the complex and is a great place for collecting goshuin, talismans, and other prayer tools for your home. I highly recommend taking a look at the wood carving ornamentation on the support beams inside and outside. Swirling imagry that has been darkened by hundreds of years of incense burning.

The key section to the complex is just up the hill from the Maniden and it’s a grouping of three buildings to form a courtyard. Together the three buildings are appropriately called the Mitsunodo (The Three Halls) and it consists of the Daikodo (the Main Hall), Jikido (the lodging hall which is now used as a museum for the temple’s treasures), and the Jyogyodo (the Gymnasium). This part of the temple was used in “The Last Samurai” and is one of the primary marketing pushes made by the temple to bring in more visitors. Across from the courtyard is a small enclosure of small buildings which designated the mausoleums of the Honda lords, the feudal family which controled Himeji Castle.

The group I was with wanted to leave so I didn’t get a chance to see some of the other groupings of smaller buildings around the complex, but there is a bell tower, a graveyard, and several meditation halls used by the staff. For casual viewers, the above-mentioned main halls are what you really want to see. Practically everything else I would recommend for people with a deeper background in Japanese history and art history. But hey, that doesn’t mean that everyone can find something interesting and new in any scenario. So please enjoy the temple, make a reservation for lunch at a small cafe by the Maniden, and enjoy the lush forests that surround you.

 

Nanzenji

Located on the slopes of Higashiyama in Kyoto, Nanzenji is one of the most prominant Rinzai Zen temples in Kyoto. Unfortunately, due to the various raids and civil wars that took place in Kyoto during the Muromachi Period (1333-1573 C.E.) the temple was burned down multiple times. The oldest building standing dates back to the Sengoku Period following the Muromachi Period.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 8.

I would describe this as one of the more diffucult temples to evaluate in the Kyoto area because of it being in Kyoto. The buildings and temple grounds are beautiful, and of course I’ll go into more detail with that, but because it’s in Kyoto, I wouldn’t recommend this temple as a must see. If anything, I would agrue that it’s a great temple to go to when you’ve come to visit a second or third time and you’ve already done the major locations in the city. Essentially, I believe that this temple is most beautiful when visitors have time to really soak it in, not when they are pressed for time. Because of that, I think I graded it a little on the lower side of things.

I also wish to note, that I believe that visiting Nanzenji is the perfect ending to following the Philosopher’s Path. If you are unfamiliar with this path, it’s a street/trail that follows a stream of spring water from the mountains into central Kyoto while being lined the whole way with cherry trees. Typically I enjoy starting the walk after a quick visit to Ginkakuji, then I follow it down to Nanzenji for a short rest under the cool trees.

Nanzenji is a temple of natural beauty mixed with waves of new architecture. Tall gates copy the grandeur of the pine trees, cherry and maple trees decorate the stone paths, and lush moss clings to the red brick of the aquaduct running through. The exterior beauty of the temple is free to access and very fun to walk around. Typically there are people lounging by the aquaduct on short benches while kids go fishing for crawdads in the cold spring waters. In spring a dance of cherry blossoms flutter through the air, sometimes traveling a great distance from their home trees. In autumn, maple leaves add sharp dashes of color to the otherwise very dimure temple grounds.

The really important visuals to see require a ticket which I believe is around 800 yen. With this ticket, visitors will gain access to the quarters of the head priest which are surrounded by some of the most famous rock gardens and screen paintings in Japan. For this reason I think anyone with a background in Japanese art history will appreciate this temple more. The paintings are done by the Kano school and it’s easy to see the connection that Kano developed with the Rinpa school of art. Some screens follow the traditional Kano school style of white screens black ink, while the majority of screens mirror the samurai influence and extravagant style of bright colors and swaths of gold. Seasonal screens depict birds, snow, flowers, and a variety of scenes that inspire a sense of wonder and serenity.

 

Ôsu Kannon

Though this temple is not the original structure, nor is this the original location of the temple, it is one of the more important temples in the history of Japan. The current buildings are 20th century reconstructions of the original buildings established just prior to the Edo Period at the end of the Sengoku War Period by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The temple was moved after the original structures suffered repeated damage from flooding at its original location in Gifu Prefecture. Just looking at the buildings, it’s hard to understand why anyone would think this temple as a key institution in Japan’s history, but that’s because its true worth is not the building or the statues, it’s the documents it holds. In particular, Osu Kannon holds in its archives the oldest copy of the Kojiki, one of two official documents detailing the Imperial Family and its lineage from divinity as well as the mythology that surrounds it.

For the casual: 2. For the educated: 9.

So let me address our casual readers first before I geek out a little. For you, I don’t particularly recommend this temple as a place that you need to go to. However, surrounding the temple is a wonderful strip mall with fun stores and lovely cafes. So should you find yourself with someone who has more of an interest in the details of Japanese history and mythological origin, then feel free to leave them be and enjoy yourself. At the same time, the temple is small so if you wouldn’t mind taking 5 minutes or so to look around, I still think the temple is a very beautiful place to visit, I just don’t think it will have any sort of pull for casual visitors.

Fellow nerds! What I said before is certainly true: the temple is small and really only takes about 5 minutes to enjoy, so please be considerate of your friends! Also, before you ask, no, you cannot see the Kojiki. Why? Becase it’s very old and very fragile so it’s kept locked away except on the rare occasions it’s brought out for academic study or for museums.