Ninnaji

January 24, 2016 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Settled in on the northern side of Kyoto not too far down the road from Ryoanji is the Imperial villa which was converted into a temple by Emperor Koko in the early Heian period as the public interest in the growing Amida Buddha worship of the Shingon sect of Buddhist. The buildings are 17th century restorations of the original 9th century buildings funded by Prince Kakushin with additional backing from the Tokugawa Shogunate. Ninnaji is known for the grand nature of the buildings in particular the main gate, the villa, and a five story pagoda near the end of the main path. Ninnaji was established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

So I figure I might as well say this here, but for the majority of the places I visited in Kyoto, I have a feeling that they're all going to be ranked very high. Maybe not all 10/10 like this, but I can't imagine too many below 8/8. Ninnaji is not one of the temples that draws the major crowds like Kinkakuji or some of the others, but because of that the crowds should be rather small. Now as I've said before in other Kyoto posts, going to many of these sites will cost some money to enter, not even a medium amount, but they will ask for some money for tickets (usually about 500 yen or so). Why am I talking money? Because I had the unfortunate experience of being behind two other Americans realizing that going to the temple is free, but all the real stuff is in the villa off to the right which costs money. Sadly, they said no, and they made a huge mistake doing so. Again, this is another reason why I hope you are reading this, to help decide what to spend money on a what not to. Missing the villa is like passing the Mona Lisa, its beauty is screaming out to you, and yet you don't even look. The villa is Imperial which means that it is super well kept. Beautiful painted sliding doors, the best woodwork, hanging scrolls of emperors and other patrons adorn the wall, and finally the small but intimate prayer hall for Amida. Ninnaji doesn't seem like much of a temple compared to other complexes, but who cares, it's awesome!

A small statue of Amida Buddha in the final hall of the villa.

The villa rock garden looking at the Imperial Gate with the main gate in the background.

The villa's pond with the Amida hall up the hill just off to the left with the five-story pagoda in the distance.

Ryôanji

December 16, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Ryôanji is one of the most famous Zen temples in Japan for its rock garden. Founded in 1450 by Hosokawa Katsumoto, deputy to the Ashikaga Shogunate. It is believed that the hojo, or the main hall, was built in 1499 along with the rock garden, but what is known is that the temple was burned down several times during the Onin War (1467-1477) and rebuilt by Katsumoto's son Masamoto.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

Well, to say the least, Ryôanji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of course, most of the major places in Kyoto are, but that's why they're so important to go visit. Ryôanji is one of the greatest places to go visit. It's far more relaxing than other major temples like Kinkakuji or Kiyomizu-dera because it is far more secluded and it doesn't have the over the top tourism drawing factor like gold. That being said, the architecture, the rock garden, pond, and so much more make the temple a huge attraction for those that know about it. Expect crowds but nothing like that of Kinkakuji.

In this UNESCO rock garden, there are 15 stones but only 14 are ever visible.

Kinkakuji (Rokuonji)- The Golden Pavilion

December 14, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Temples

One of the most widely known temples in Kyoto, Kinkakuji was built in the late 14th century by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu to serve as his retirement villa until his death in 1408 when it was turned into a temple complex for the Rinzai Zen sect in accordance with his will. Built to mirror temples of the Imperial Court in Kyoto and to display the lavish wealth of the Ashikaga Shogunate who established the Muromachi Period (1392-1573) in Kyoto, the main hall of the complex is three stories tall with a public reception on the first floor, a private prayer room on the second, and a reflective villa room on the third floor. The main hall has burned down several times including twice during the Onin Wars of the Muromachi Period and as recently as 1950 when a monk accidentally set it on fire then unsuccessfully attempted suicide. The current building was constructed in 1955. Though gold is one of the most valued metals in modern society, traditionally in East Asia, gold was second to silver. And yes, the building is covered inside and out in gold leaf.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 9.

A warning, Kinkakuji is one of the most famous sites in Kyoto and will be busy when you visit. To beat the crowds, go as early as you can or go in the colder seasons, although the pond and park do still draw massive crowds despite the time of year. So my tip of advice, go because there's no other like it, and try to be patient. The rest of the complex is just as beautiful even though it's not covered in gold, so keep your eyes open and find the beauty in the micromanagement of the temple grounds.

Some of you educated readers may be wondering why I actually gave this temple a 9 instead of a 10, and the reason really comes with the level of tourism. Kinkakuji is naturally a major tourist attraction and anything that becomes that popular will cater towards those sorts of crowds. There is no reason why you shouldn't go, but I felt that there were more interested in temples in the Kyoto area that are just as visually amazing, have a richer history, and yet are not as crowd heavy as Kinkakuji.

Front sign to the temple reads "Kinkakuji"

Narita-san (Shinshoji)

December 14, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Narita-san, also known by its temple name Shinshoji, is one of the major esoteric sect Buddhist temples in Japan at its location in Chiba prefecture overlooking the city of Narita. Founded in 940 by the great priest Kancho when a sacred statue of Fudo Myô was moved from Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka) to Narita-san. The statue had been commissioned by Emperor Saga and carved by Kukai, the famous monk who brought esoteric Buddhism to Japan. Shortly following the completion of the statue, Taira no Masakado (see Kanda Jinja and Tsukudo Jinja) led a rebellion against the Imperial Court, so the statue was moved and prayed to in hopes of ending the rebellion. The temple complex of Shinshoji was built to house the statue and still does to this day. In the Edo Period (1614-1868) the sacred statue of Fudo was brought to the city to spread esoteric teachings and at that time famed kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro (the Danjuro was one of the most highly regarded families of Kabuki) was playing the role of Fudo Myô on stage and as such, even today, plays with Fudo Myô have references back to Narita-san and the statue.

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

Now it's important to note that if you're thinking of going to Narita-san to go temple hopping, don't because there isn't much around. That being said, if you're the type that likes collecting goshuin, there are 5 to be collected at this one complex. It's fairly easy to get out to the city of Narita considering that the international airport is on the other side of the hill, but the city is a really cool place to visit. A mixture of city life and old fashioned Japan in one place, so if you're wanting to go but would enjoy splitting the day between the temple and the city, this is a good place to go.

The temple has so much going on for it I don't even know where to start. First, it's super super cool. There are a lot of halls to visit and a great garden to find yourself sitting on a bench and enjoying the sun, the air, and the rustle of the trees.