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Introducing Nanzenji - The Highest-Ranking Zen Temple In Japan

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Nanzenji is a Buddhist temple located in Sakyo ward in Kyoto and is the most important Zen temple with the highest status in Japan. Read about its grandiose architecture, stunning gardens, Lake Biwa Canal, and other spots, events and such down below.

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What Not to Miss at Nanzenji

Hojo

Hojo represents the quarters where the monks of the Zen temple worked and lived on a daily basis. At Nanzenji you can sneak a peek at Ohojo (the Big Hojo) and Kohojo (the Small Hojo).

You can still learn about some of the architectural techniques used when building the living quarters of an emperor, visible from sculptures, the ceiling, doors, and other parts of Ohojo’s transom, or ranma (*1) in Japanese. They were once decorated with beautiful traditional paintings, but due to the severe decay of the some of them, the ones displayed today are a mixture of the original ones, still preserved in a good shape, and ones that had to be restored.

On the other hand, at Kohojo, the visitors are able to gaze upon an extraordinary collection dating from the beginning of the Edo Period, when a genius painter called Kano Tanyu lived and worked – the space is also referred to as the Room of the Tigers, as there are as many as 40 paintings of tigers displayed inside.

Hojo also has numerous gardens open for visitors. Some of them are traditional rock-type gardens, the so-called karesansui, such as Tora no Kowatashi and Nyoshintei, and others, such as Rokudotei, are famous for their magnificent moss scenery.

*1 Ranma: the latticework, or the fretwork, created on the ceilings’, fusuma or shoji doors’ upper frame, in order to let the sunlight and air circulate, or for the decoration purposes.

Sanmon

【京都】京都で最高位の格式をもつ禅寺、南禅寺~アクセス、オススメスポット、イベントなど

Take a stroll around the temple’s grounds, and we assure you that you will be overwhelmed with the powerful image of 22-meter high, massive gates that date back all the way to 1628 when they were reinstalled. On the second story of these gigantic gates, you will see the ceiling ornamented with the paintings of a Chinese phoenix and the celestial beings, a peculiar seated statue of Buddha wearing a crown, as well as the statues of the 16 pupils of Buddha – The 16 Arhats, of the warriors, and Buddhist mortuary tablets installed inside.

Sosui

【京都】京都で最高位の格式をもつ禅寺、南禅寺~アクセス、オススメスポット、イベントなど

Don’t be surprised by the sudden sighting of a water bridge with a beautiful red-brick arch. This was constructed in 1890 when the canal connecting neighboring Shiga prefecture’s famous Lake Biwa and Kyoto was created in order to use that water in the city.

Using the hydro power of this water, the city of Kyoto flourished, and it is said that many factories, as well as the development of the tram, were created and enabled. The Lake Biwa Canal’s potential is still being used to this day.

The Seasonal Events at Nanzenji

【京都】京都で最高位の格式をもつ禅寺、南禅寺~アクセス、オススメスポット、イベントなど

Nehan’e – the Parinirvana Day

It is a Buddhist memorial service celebrating the day of the passing of Buddha, February the 15th, during which nehanzu, or the paintings showing the events of the last days of Buddha’s life, are used.

Gotan’e – Buddha’s Birthday

It is another memorial service celebrating the birth of Buddha, on April the 8th. It is often called the Hana Matsuri, or the Flower Festival because it is celebrated during the cherry blossom-viewing season in Japan.

Attractions in the Vicinity of Nanzenji

【京都】京都で最高位の格式をもつ禅寺、南禅寺~アクセス、オススメスポット、イベントなど

There are many well-known spots you can explore while visiting Nanzenji, and some of them are Kinchiin, a temple of the Nanzenji School, Eikando Zenrinji, famous for the wonderful autumn maple tree foliage, Heian Jingu with a distinctive vermilion-painted shrine, and Chionin, believed to be the birthplace of the nenbutsu, or the Buddhist prayers. These marvelous attraction sites are all reachable by foot and shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to reach, so why not use your time to the fullest and pay a visit to these places as well?

*All the information about the transportation time and fees is taken from the respected official websites and is current as of June 2017. Please mind that the information is subject to change.

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奈良生まれの旅好きライター。日本の魅力を世界の人々に伝えていきたいです。

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